Hybrid World
by Ayji
Summary: It was all just a game, right? So the world thought until one day the server crashes, trapping hundreds of thousands of people inside, inside a world that was not their own, but was fast becoming reality. The story is not based on or around .hacksign, but
1. Chapter 1

His feet slapped the pavement as he raced down the street, void of any other figures or cars on this cool autumn evening. His dark eyes squinted as the sun sank below the horizon, casting a final glare into his sight as he ran. A bag full of books bounced against his back, remnants from school that day, reminding the boy that even after he got home he would still have to finish his homework before passing out for the night; unless of course he could put it off until the morning, again.

Collin fought for breath as he ran up the last hill before reaching his house, passing several kids playing on the sidewalk. Their shouts of encouragement rang through his ears as they sought to conquer the trials of jump rope, seeking for that final 'double dutch', or whatever it was they called it these days. He heard his name yelled and turned briefly, watching as two of the three little girls waved, his only response a smile. There wasn't time to stop and talk, not today.

He veered to the left of the street as the hill was crested. His mom heard him running and turned from a small flowerbed near their front porch, one hand coming up to her brow to shield her eyes from the sun. She smiled as her son reached the fence, then without opening it simply leapt into the air, one hand touching the fence, propelling his body over it. He landed, still running, and made for the front door.

"Hey speedy, where's the fire?" His mom caught him by the arm as he sought to run past without speaking, his chest heaving. Collin tried to pull himself free, but his mother held fast to his blue shirtsleeve. With an exasperated sigh he turned to face her, his free hand reaching up to brush strands of black hair from his eyes.

"Mom, you know what tonight is! I told you about it this morning! They open the new server tonight, and I have to be there!" He could imagine what he sounded like, a 16-year-old boy, almost a young man, talking to his mom about a new server on a computer game. But it wasn't _just_ a computer game, it was Hybrid World. The best MMORPG ever created. Tonight a whole new world would be opening up to the public, and he had to be there! So wrapped up was he in his thoughts that he missed the subtle frown his mom let slip.

"Hon, I don't know about this game… I think you may be spending too much time in it. How about we go see that new movie tonight instead? It'll be fun, just me and you kiddo." She smiled brightly, letting go of her son's shirt and clasping her hands in front of her. Colin stared at his mom as if she were bereft of her senses. Sure, he enjoyed going places with his mom, even though her looks always caused men to stare at them, or her for that matter. Even though she was his mom, she still looked only to be in her 20s, and very much kept her girlish figure, so to speak. Honey blonde hair, bright blue eyes, she was any man's dream. That fact annoyed him to no end.

"Mom, no offense, but the last time we went out I almost got into a fight because of some guy hitting on you." He shook his head as she started to protest. "Sorry mother dear, maybe another night, but not tonight! I've been planning this for _weeks_!"

She sighed and nodded, the only encouragement he needed to bolt for the door. The young woman turned and watched as he disappeared into the house, slamming the door on accident.

"Just be careful…"

Collin didn't hear his mother's words as he walked through the house, straight to the kitchen. He set his book bag on the table and quickly moved to the fridge, rummaging in it until he found the apple he sought. One bite brought juices into his mouth and satisfied his immediate hunger. It would do until tonight when he logged off. As he took another bite from the fruit and started down the hall the phone rang. Instead of turning around and running back to the kitchen he ran to his room, shutting the door behind him, and grabbed his black cordless.

"Hello?"

"Collin! Hey man. I tried to wait for you after school, but Mrs. Johnson said you'd hit the library." His friend's voice was relaxd, and he could tell that he'd already had a nap in the time that Collin had been studying at school.

"Yea, sorry about that, but we have that chem. test first period and I knew I wouldn't study for it tonight." He said as he sat on the edge of his bed, kicking his shoes off in the general direction of his closet. Next came his jacket, it too being thrown across the room to land in a heap near his closet door. Immediately he got up and walked around his bed to his large computer desk, easing into his chair as John rambled on about something that'd happened in class the last period. His free hand touched the mouse, bringing his computer back up from its sleeping state, the hard drive wurring to life.

"But yea," John was saying, "I told her maybe tomorrow night. I mean, tonight is the night man. She wouldn't understand of course, so I didn't mention _why_ I couldn't go out. Megan is pretty and all…but… this is _the_ night man!"

Collin blinked. "John, you mean to tell me that you passed over the girl that you've wanted to go out with since kindergarten to play Hybrid tonight?"

"Yep, why?"

Collin shook his head, eyes rolling upwards at the thought of it all. He sighed. "Nothin' man… just, this could have waited...it'll still be here tomorrow! What if she changes her mind? Maybe you should call her or something?"

John laughed. "No way am I letting you have all the fun yourself. I'm ready to log on whenever you are. This is going to be _awesome_!"

He could hear the excitement in his friend's voice and could picture him sitting there in his chair, probably almost bouncing up and down. Unlike Collin's 5ft 11 inches and slim frame, John was about 5ft 8", and stocky. Where Collin's hair was black his friend's was red. But he was his best friend, and they both shared this same passion.

"Alright man, let's do it. See you inside?"

"You know it!" John said, the phone clicking not a second later. Collin laughed silently and threw the phone to his bed. His hands reached for the Gauntlet, a device that actually fit onto his head and over his eyes, instead of on his hand as the name suggested. It was shaped as a biking helmet with a visor that slid down over his eyes, showing him a new world in digitized format. He could feel small pins pressing into the base of his neck, feeding his mind the virtual reality that would transform his body. A voice spoke into his thoughts.

"**Login:"**

**"**Jace."

"**Password:"**

"Gemini"

"**Accepted. Hybrid entry enabled."**

Suddenly his world exploded and he was no long a part of the real world, but was something else, somewhere else. It was a rush of bliss, that first glimpse into unreality that always accompanied his entry. Lights flared about his closed eyes as the realm in which he would awaken was created.

He opened his eyes, finding himself as usual in a white room, no walls to speak of, no floor or ceiling, simply white space. In his mind he spoke the command.

_Jace initiate._

His character profile opened up into the blank space and the transformation began. He looked down and saw that he wore the same clothes as he did in his room at home, the simple black cargo pants and black and white shirt, but then began the change. His hair retained its natural color, but grew to shoulder length. His body thickened, heightening and sprouting muscle tone at the same instance. A digital aura surrounded his changing body, black armor replacing his pants, then his shirt, his hands and feet growing slightly in size to accommodate his new stature. A breastplate materialized on his person, the emblem of a dragon decorating its glowing surface. He ears became slightly upswept, akin to an elf, but different. Dark green eyes became brighter, glaring with an inner light that could only come from the game.

Suddenly the white space began to change, taking shape, form, becoming something else even as Jace took life. In mere moments he no longer stood in emptiness, but now stood in the middle of a room. _His_ room. In the Inn of Jasper. It was the same place he began almost each quest, his save point. A bed sat to his left, a single cot that was never used. Directly in front of him was an armoire that he knew contained one changing of clothes, and his special items. A stride took him to its doors, which opened with ease as his hands touched them, sliding on hidden hinges.

Inside was the clothing, a simple black tunic, black pants, and of course black boots. He dressed to fit the part. He spoke a single word and the spell of illusion was dispelled, something put in place to keep would be thieves away. Beside the clothes now rested other, more important items.

_Gemini. _

A shimmer spread over the surface of the black-bladed sword hanging on the wall of the dresser, larger than a long sword, yet smaller than a broadsword or claymore. He reached out and grasped the hilt, a fine piece of craftsmanship created from onyx stone and encrusted with black diamonds. The crosspiece was unlike any Jace had ever come across as of yet. Instead of a simple cross, it branched out in all four directions. There was of course a purpose for this, as there was a purpose for everything. In this form the sword was deadly to say the least, the powers of the Dark Dragon Lords bestowed upon its blade, after Jace defeated their Master, Dakus. It was one of his proudest moments in the game; beheading the mighty black dragon and having its blood stain his blade, giving it more power than he could have imagined.

He pulled it from the wall and stepped back, swinging the perfectly balanced blade once, then raising it and releasing it. Magical properties brought the sword to rest against his back, locking into clasps there designed for the blade. The large hilt rose above his shoulder, glowing faintly in the dim candlelit room.

Beneath where the sword had rested was a shelf, upon which sat several other items. Jace reached out and took several pouches from it, latching them to the right side of his armor, within easy reach. Another pouch, one that jingled, obviously filled with coins, was stuck inside his breastplate, secured with magic. Next came two small axs that were fixed to his left side. Each was deadly in its own right, and had the powers to return to their places at his side once unleashed. Finally he lifted a heavy curved dagger. To some the dagger was the most dangerous of his arsenal, for its powers were to absorb any energy it came into contact with, and then transfers them to either the user, or unleashing them from its own blade. It was fit into a slot in his back, safe from contact with his own skin.

Jace stepped back from the armoire and turned, the doors sliding closed as his presence fled. He strode across the room, and then stopped by the door that would leave this area. On a pedestal before him sat his helm, a thing of nightmares that would complete his character and let all who came before him know who and what he was. Wings replaced his ears, ending in razor sharp spikes, his eyes were scales that let the light of his vision shine through. At the crest of his head were ridges that rode backwards, forming a spin of jagged bone to the base of his neck. Another set of wings swept down, forming his mouthpiece and then moving down still to protect his neck. A smile flittered across his lips as he reached down and pulled it from its place, then raised it into the air, slowly letting the helm fit itself onto his head. He was then complete.

He was Jace, Dark Knight of Anyss, Order of Dragon.

●◦●◦●

He moved down the stairs of the inn with ease, moving lightly in his armor. The din of the common room below reached his ears well before he descended the final step, and then pushed through the heavy doors that led to the room. Inside there were any number of races, eating, drinking, flirting, and trading. Elves mingled with humans, humans with dwarfs, and so on, it was supposed to be a place of truce and neutrality.

"Ho Master Jace!"

He stopped and turned slightly to his left where an overweight man in a too-tight vest waved, then started making his way over to where he stood. Mik, the owner of the Inn, was an NPC. A non-playing character, but one who was played well by whichever program ran it. He was devoid of any and all hair save a handlebar mustache, and his only obvious weapon was a cudgel hanging from his side, useful if his patrons got out of order. By the time he'd waded through his customers and reached Jace's side he had to remove a handkerchief from his waste band and mop his sweating head.

The Dark Knight bowed his head slightly to acknowledge the man. "Mik."

"So good to seeeee you again, Master! It has been soooo long!" It had only been a day. "Such patrons as you are sorely missed when they are absent from these unworthy walls!" He started to ramble on, but an uplifted hand silenced any other comment that was forthcoming.

"I don't want any today, Mik." The innkeeper's expression was crestfallen, but visibly changed as Jace reached into his armor and extracted a single silver piece, handing it to the man. "For the room and your troubles. And the repair to the table."

Mik looked bewildered for a moment, not having been aware of any damage to a table. "Table, Master?"

Just then Jace turned, his left hand sweeping upwards from his side, an ax within his clutches. He brought his hand up and across his chest, then with uncommon speed released it. The weapon seared the air, end over end until its path ended with a solid 'chunk'.

A dwarf, so engrossed in his mug of ale, failed to notice anything of the happenings around him, and almost lost his seat as a small ax embedded itself into the backside of his uplifted mug. As the jug was lowered all could see the dwarf's face, a mask of rage, painted with cool ale. He sputtered a moment, and then slammed the offending thing down, cracking the table. The small man leapt to his feet, chair crashing backwards and into a serving woman.

"Ah, that table…" Mik said, cautiously moving away from the storm that was about to rage. He knew his cudgel would do no good against these. Jace only smiled behind the twisted black helm.

"Why the bloody…**are ye daft!" **Willow raged, reaching around to one of the long handles protruding from his back. His hand closed on it, a faint click sounding as the clasp securing the weapon was released and he brought it to bear. In his hand Willow gripped a large double bladed ax, the surface etched with runes, giving it power beyond that of normality.

Jace began walking toward the infuriated dwarven warrior slowly, ignoring his shouts of insult. He knew sometimes his friend got a little _too_ much into character. Without thought Willow jumped up onto the table, further cracking the structure of it.

"Willow, I wouldn't…" Jace started, but was cut off by the short warrior who would hear none of it.

"I'm gonna lop of yer head, bring you down to my size so I can shove me foot up yer bum is what I would-" A loud crack sounded through the common room as the table collapsed under the weight of the heavy man. He fell through the splintered furniture, landing hard on his backside, a slightly dazed look in his eyes as his horned helm fell forward. One hand reached up and scratched at his beard, as red as the flush staining his cheeks.

Without a word Jace bent down and gripped the back of Willow's armor, still walking, now dragging the short man along with him. The dwarf raged all the louder, kicking his legs hard against the floor, throwing threats at the taller man's back with no effect. They exited the inn to the sound of laughter, and the sound of a very angry Willow Stormhammer.

"Alright, let's go. We have to make the server safe point soon or it will be swamped." Jace said as he released Willow, already walking away toward the portal that would allow them to exit the town. The still angry dwarf jumped to his feet, and then swung his ax up and over the back of his head, letting it latch magically into place.

"Now wait a minute, ya can't just be pluckin' me up and draggin' me about, then jus' saying let's go!" His legs pumped hard and fast as he caught up with the Knight, whose longer legs quickly outdistanced the dwarf.

"Do you really have to talk like that?"

"It's me character lad. Besides, it's fun. You should scowl sometimes or something man, gives some reality to the mask." Willow said, or John. Jace only shook his head, laughing silently to himself. "Took ye long enough, wuddya hafta do, clean yer room or summat?"

Jace looked down at his friend, his eyebrows rising behind the black helm. He had only been off the phone thirty seconds when he'd logged into the server. "What are you talking about? I logged on less than a minute after we got off the phone."

"Bah, whatever lad. Tis no shame to be doin wut yer mommie asks of ye."

The Dark Knight just shook his head and kept walking, noting that other warriors were quickly approaching the Safe Point, the place where the portal lies that will take you to another level. So far there had only been 12 levels in the game, but tonight level 13 would be unlocked, and the new world opened to all. New powers, new weapons… But first they had to defeat the boss at the end of level 12, a newly created monster that was the key to opening the new world.

"Hey John-"

"Willow."

"But-"

"It's Willow, Jace."

Collin, or Jace, sighed. "Ok, Willow, what do you think the level 12 boss is going to be like this time? I know we've beaten him like…ten times, but this time he'll be different."

Willow shrugged his armor-laden shoulders, spikes rising from each shoulder plate. "I'm not knowin lad, but we've done it afore, we'll be doin it again." He reached up with one hand and patted the handle of an ax jutting out over his head. "Me an Serpent Slayer'll see to it lad, doncha be worryin'."

"I wasn't worrying… just curious." Jace mumbled, his eyes narrowing behind his helm as they reached the portal. A single man stood beside it, another NPC, this one dressed in a long brown robe with a cord tied around his waist and a hood covering his head. Only a pair of gold colored eyes could be seen from the darkness of his face.

"Which level?" The Gate Keeper asked, his voice a soft whisper. In his right hand he grasped a staff of ordinary wood, the end of which was burnt and curled in on itself, but even so, Jace could feel power radiating from it, and him.

"Twelve," He said, reaching behind him to lay a reassuring hand upon Gemini. The blade of the sword was warm and thrumming beneath his touch, eager for battle. Through it Jace felt his own excitement building, turning the previous nervousness into a focused line of determination.

The Gate Keeper nodded, and somehow they could feel the creature smiling beneath the cowl. "Twelve it is… May the Gods go with you."

His staff flared to life, and then where nothing once was, a door was created. Within its confines swirled colors and pigments beyond definition, a portal to another dimension within the game. Beside him Willow gripped the handle of an ax, no doubt remembering a time when the portal they went through landed them in a circle of trolls that were having a discussion on what to eat for supper.

Jace relaxd and let the magic of his Order flow through his veins, calling upon the dark enchantment of this realm to come to his call, to be at his will. The Gate Keeper nodded again and they stepped forward, first the Dark Knight, then the dwarf. For a brief moment it seemed as though time itself ceased and that all that existed was pain, their bodies being torn apart and put back together, the penalty for using a portal. Lights exploded in their minds, their bodies screamed in agony.

Then it was over, the pain a dimming memory, the feeling of their bodies being ripped to shreds but a pleasant dream, for such was the way of the portal. It broke their digital selves into the smallest fragments of data and transported them elsewhere, and when it was over, the trip was forgotten almost immediately and they were fine, never dreading the next trip through a portal.

Jace opened his eyes and peered around. It seemed relatively safe, at the moment, though the area was eerily quiet. A sound of huffing and grumbling drew his gaze down at his feet where he saw willow, on his back, struggling somewhat to get back upright. He stifled a laugh and bent down, lending his friend a hand, which the dwarf grudgingly grabbed, and then hauled him up to his booted feet.

"These portals, never know where you'll land… or how." He said, unable to keep a slight hitch from his voice that let on to his laughter inside. Willow though didn't say a word about it, instead he took time to look around and take stock in their surroundings.

"Looks like we're at deadmire forest lad… and tis almost night. To me thinking, there should be a cave up ahead. We better be makin for it, fore sommat finds us."

He nodded. "I agree. I'll lead the way." Willow didn't say anything else, just stepped aside and let the knight walk past him, then fell into line. He knew that in the failing light Jace's eyesight was much better than his, having the vision more keen than an elf's. "Watch my back."

Willow harrumphed. "As if ye need to ask, lad." One hand stayed on his ax handle, his eyes constantly roving over the trees, his steps making it seem as though a herd of deer were stampeding.

The knight cringed slightly at the sound, but ignored it and kept moving. It was nigh impossible for a dwarf to walk quietly, even in a game, and to expect them to do so was nothing but foolishness. Besides, it always kept them on their toes and forever led to excitement. They hadn't gone but a hundred yards when the first excitement of the night began. At first it had only been a shadow, but then the shadow before them came to life.

Jace stopped, feeling Willow bump into him and then mutter a curse before backing up and stepping around, trying to get a glimpse of what caused their halt. His eyes narrowed slightly as the shadow took form. The dwarf stepped from behind his friend and came to stand at his side, his hand on the ax. "A bloody magic user… here of all places." The dwarf mumbled, loosening Serpent Slayer against his back, preparing to pull it around at the first sign of attack.

"Yes, dwarf, a 'bloody magic user'." His mocking voice spoke out from the inside of a black hood, which flowed into the black robes of his clerical order. Before him he held a black staff seemingly created of a single iron rod, a blood-red crystal perching atop it, clutched in a withered hand. "A dwarf and a Dragon Knight, almost a Dragon Lord I sense. What a strange combination." He laughed, the sound mocking and scornful. "Well, I have no use for a dwarf, but you, Knight, come along, I need an escort."

Jace's eyes widened, though none but him knew it, and his mouth almost dropped in astonishment. The guy couldn't be serious. Yet the sound of his voice told the knight that he was. Before he could speak though, Willow, now enraged beyond any rational point, reacted.

His ax seemed to leap into his hands, the large double-bladed weapon gleaming in the dark light. A pale blue shone upon its edges, the runes etched into its surface shimmering and dancing, almost as if alive. He began to run, his short legs pumping hard and furious, bringing him loudly into the path of the mage, a roar to an unknown god ripped from his spittle dripping lips.

Jace watched the mage's fingers of his left hand moving slightly and recognized the incantation for a high-level magic shield, one that should be able to deflect any physical attack. No doubt the man wanted to laugh as Willow struck at him, only to be knocked a hundred feet backwards. The mage greatly underestimated the dwarf though. Serpent Slayer was aptly named, for it was used to slay great dragons, and the only weapons capable of doing that had to be able to cut through magically strengthened skin. Thus, the ax of the dwarf was imbued with the power to 'eat' magic. Which meant that the mage's shield was laughable.

The mage's eyes were on the knight; most likely expecting him to come to the aid of his friend whom he thought was about to be dealt with. Instead of seeing Jace leaping into action, he only saw him calmly standing there, not even bothering to draw his sword. It was perhaps at this point that the mage realized the glow that surrounded the ax, his eyes widening as realization came to him, but too late.

This, Jace thought, is why it's never good to be a word mage.

Before the man could utter a spell Willow attacked. The small dwarf leapt into the air, roaring and staring right into the mage's eyes. He brought the ax down, blade flat. It paused for a moment as it hit the magical barrier, and the man's eyes almost lit with glee, but it was short-lived as the shield was shattered in a spray of blue magical residue. A keening sound pierced the quiet of the forest after the roar of the dwarf, the sound of magic breaking. The ax crashed down, smashing into the upturned face of the surprised magician, blood and bone spurting from the hood as the material fell back. The man fell to the ground under the weight of the enraged dwarf's attack, crumpling him as Willow bore down.

Willow landed on the ground before the man, his ax resting on the mage's head. His color faded as his HP fell away, a moan escaping the mass of blood and pain. Jace walked up and laid a hand upon his friend's shoulder, the dwarf huffing with exertion, his pulse racing. Experience poured into him and he felt himself becoming stronger, his victory obvious. Through his heavy breathing he spoke, a grin blossoming on his rugged face.

"Aye ye bloody mage, try castin a bloody spell wit yer bloody mouth busted." He pulled his ax away, the glimmering blueness becoming pale as the magic in the air completely disseminated to nothing. The blood dripped from the shaft of his weapon and fell to the ground, sinking into the soil and fertilizing the ground. He slung the ax around, barely missing Jace, and latched it onto his back. His hands on his hips, he kicked the man and stomped off in the direction they had originally been headed.

_So this is the madness that power drives some to… thinking that they are above everyone else and can control those lesser than them at a whim…_ The young knight thought as he passed the mage, his green eyes regarding the man in silence. He pitied the guy, in a way. Someone that had to bully others just to find companions must live a sad life, for usually what one did in the game somehow reflected how they were in life. Jace was an exception though, for though his character design was basically evil, he couldn't quite pull it off, though he tried. Being evil didn't mean you turned into a PK though, a player-killer. He looked back over his shoulder at the still form of the mage one last time, his eyes full of pity for the person behind the character.

"C'mon lad, we avn't got all bloody day." Willow said from up ahead, as he noticed his comrade not yet following. "Besides, you don't want the server to get full, do you?" He finished, switching to his normal form of speech for a moment.

Jace smiled slightly and trotted to catch up with his friend, again taking the lead.

"Fear not, friend dwarf, I will get us there in time."

Behind him he heard the short man harrumph again.

"Ye better, for me ax is singin to me the sounds of blood. Wouldna want to hafta spill yers to satisfy em." He could hear willow patting the long handle of his ax as he spoke, which caused him to walk just a bit faster. He wouldn't put it past the man to actually try and make good on his light threat, if they missed getting into the server.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II .: The Cave :.**

Hours later, In Game Time, they found themselves standing before a large and foreboding cave. Its mouth rose from the ground as if to swallow them, the ground before it turning from forest to stone, an enormous cliff looming behind it. The shadow from the mountain stretched further as the night darkened, turning a once peaceful forest into a den of creatures that walked only in the night. From the mouth of the cave itself came a feeling of dread that swam over any who stood before it long enough.

A cool wind blew from the opening, caressing over the two warriors standing before its entry. Willow huffed with exertion, straining to catch his breath, while Jace stood there, sweat dripping down his skin under his armor. The path through the forest had not been easy. They had encountered no more players, but the monsters living within the trees did not like their passing, and in fact were designed with the sole responsibility to stop any who dared pass. The creatures had tried hard, and valiantly, but to no avail. Jace and willow were determined that nothing would stop them this night, and it showed in the bite of their blades and the power of the knights magic.

It was always strongest in the dark of the night, when his kind came awake.

The man looked down at his short friend who was at the moment leaning heavily on the shaft of his ax, his face red and blotchy from exertion. Jace had never seen him fight so hard, and had to attribute the vigor to the award that waited for them. Tonight though, his friend seemed more In Character than ever.

"You ready, old man?" He said, nudging the dwarf slightly.

"Old man? Bloody knight… Aye, I'm ready." The short figure stood straight and hefted his ax, both hands grabbing the shaft, allowing the blade to rest against his shoulder. He began walking toward the cave, the shadows within seeming to reach out, enveloping his form in darkness as entry to the blackness was made.

Jace reached behind him and touched the hilt of Gemini, the solidness of his sword reassuring. His eyes followed the dwarf, switching to a heat spectrum so he could better see. The stout man was now outlined with red, and nothing else stirred.

●◦●◦●

Lady Rosilin McKay. That's what they once called her, long ago before she thought to go off adventuring. Now they only called her Ros, and the fear her title once held no longer had any effect in these places. Not that it mattered, really, because as far as she was concerned it was sometimes better to be unknown, than known only by reputation.

Unless of course you were in the middle of a forest at night with no one around you but a young knight of paladin, fresh from the character sheets. Now, instead of the creatures running in fear, they chose to fight her every step of the way.

Not that she cared, really, for it was all just experience, and at the same time the young knight was gaining points as well… so it was ok, for now.

All of these thoughts swam through her mind as ice flowed from her fingers, traveling along the coat of a balrok and into his body, freezing the bear-like creature instantly. She heard a roar behind her and side-stepped just in time to miss being cleaved in two as Tetsu crashed through, his mighty, yet poorly made, blade hacking through the frozen form of the balrok, shattering chunks of ice in every direction, though mostly at Ros.

The young looking woman sighed and glanced down at her bronze colored armor, now stained with blood and water. She ran a hand through her long violet colored hair, feeling moisture there as well.

Lady Rosilin McKay never had to worry about getting wet, or dirty, or being in forests in the middle of the night with hotheaded knights trying to carve a name for themselves.

She sighed again.

The new server really didn't interest her, she was just as happy with the old ones, since she mostly only did small quests to gain experience and hone her skills, which she had been doing for the past year or so. A few weeks ago however, a new player who had witnessed her fighting and wanted to become an apprentice of sorts had emailed her. She had slowly agreed, and since then had began 'training' the young man, though he needed none. Their first mission together had shown her that the boy possessed skill enough to quickly rise among the ranks of the 'vets' and become an elite player, given time and experience.

"Did you see the way it burst, Ros?" The youth in question said, turning from the melting pile of creature. He was resplendent in his silver and blue armor, blonde hair cut short, a cloak of dark blue hanging about his shoulders. In his gauntleted right hand he held his sword, now stained with blood and water. Instead of wiping it on his cloak, as most people would do, he knelt down and wiped the blade upon the grass, cleaning the liquid from the gleaming surface. He then rose and sheathed his blade, his eyes finding Ros's again, awaiting her response.

"Yea, I saw it." She said calmly, then with a bit more force she added… "And I also saw how you almost split me in two, if I hadn't moved. You need to learn to control that eagerness of yours a bit before it gets you, and me, killed." His face fell just a touch, the bright smile turning just a bit darker, making him seem more of his 'age', which in the game should have been somewhere around 19.

Rosilin sighed, then stepped closer to him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You did ok, for a knight. Now, let's get to this cave so we can get to this other level you're so hyped up about." The young knight's face brightened, but the warrior-mage didn't stick around to witness it. She brushed past him and continued on in the direction they had originally been headed, listening for the sound of Tetsu to follow, which he did a moment later, probably taking another minute to savor his victory.

Tetsu watched as Ros walked by, respect and admiration in his eyes. He had only met her a few weeks prior, but since then he'd never seen her break a sweat or lose her cool. She'd always dealt with each enemy with respect, unless they were PK's, then she let out a little of her frustration. Most people, Tetsu had found, looked down upon her simply because she was only an Ice Mage, but in the game she had also picked up steel and had effectively combined both aspects to become somewhat of a legend in other parts of Hybrid. That was how he first heard of her, and then one day he actually got to see her in battle, against a dragon no less.

"You comin', knight?" He shook his head to clear away the thoughts and saw that she'd walked away a good fifty yards before stopping to see that Tetsu had come to a stop as well, so wrapped up in his thoughts. She sighed audibly as he grinned and jogged to catch up with her, his armor jingling slightly, scabbard bouncing against the chain mail on his thigh.

"Sorry bout that, thought I heard something." He mumbled, glancing over at her as they walked. He couldn't deny that she was beautiful, her character at least, but he'd felt nothing more than brotherly love for her In Game persona, and had not a clue of her Out Of Game personality.

"Stop staring at me and watch where you're going." She said, causing him to blush, even though it didn't show on his character's face.

"Sorry." He said, his eyes fastened straight ahead, darting here and there every few minutes, searching the shadows for anything that may be lurking. Above them stars shone, and in the midst of them blazed Munari, the moon of the third cycle, since in Hybrid each season was a cycle, and each one had a different sun and moon. This moon was the darkest of them all, which gave evil a firmer hold on the lands and caused more foul creatures to stir. Tetsu tore his eyes away from the large, dark blue orb and re-focused his attention on the world around them. Enormous oak trees toward over them on every side, their branches swaying gently in a breeze that no one could feel. No sounds of night animals greeted them, not a stirring of a leaf did they hear or see. It was the literal dead of night, when all that walked was those in the shadows.

A perfect setting for the next level, Tetsu thought.

"Hey, Ros-" He began, wanting to ask her opinion on the next level, but as he turned to face her she lifted a hand, halting his speech and movement. Instantly a hand went to the sword at his side, half pulling it free of its silver sheath. Instead of sounding an alarm though she remained in that position, and slowly her pallor changed to that of grey, then black, and then she was gone. The only thing left that proved she had even been there was a slight indention in the soil that also soon faded back to normal.

"Oh great…" He muttered, his sword falling from his limp hand to slide back into its scabbard. The hand that had released the blade lifted to his head and he ran it through his hair in frustration. Her connection had been severed and she would more than likely have to restart at the last save point, which for them would be the creature he'd last slain.

In turmoil he stood there, unsure of what he should do, what she would want him to do. Then it hit him. For weeks he had been in her shadow, walking only where she walked and attacking only where she pointed. She had been his nursemaid, even though he'd grown in both stature and experience, so maybe this was a test to see if he could make it to the cave, and perhaps beyond, without her. Maybe she'd cut her own connection just for this purpose… so perhaps…

Tetsu nodded, squared his shoulders, and resolutely marched on through the darkness, one hand on the hilt of his sword, the other at his other side where rested his dirk. He would make it to level thirteen, or die trying.

●◦●◦●

Rosilin cursed silently as she looked up at her stepfather, his hand on her shoulder, the other hand gripping the gauntlet that he'd pulled off of her head. He was frowning slightly, wrinkling his otherwise smooth face. She could tell that he was worrying about something. Whenever he 'fretted', as he called it, he would run his hands through his hair and leave it mussed and out of place, since it was normally combed into precise place. Now though it was wild looking, his brown eyes holding in them a slight sadness.

"What is it dad?" She asked, looking a little concerned at his serious expression. His eyes went from hers to the thing he held in his grasp.

"Your mom wants some help with the dishes… do you mind?" He said, his voice doing a good job of keeping a normal tone. He set the headset on her desk and let go of her shoulder, then took a step back and waited.

"Uhm…sure dad… but I'm really kind of in the middle of something…" She glanced back at the screen, which had populated back to her login since her father had automatically logged her out. The cursor stood blinking on the blank space where her username went. It was as though the game was calling for her…

"It won't take long, hon." He said, interrupting her silent reverie. Her stepfather turned then and walked out of her room, no doubt expecting her to follow. She cursed again silently and pushed away from her desk, the wheels of her chair rolling on the ceramic tile that made up her floor. Quickly she slipped on a pair of slippers and padded out of the room, dressed in an old pair of jeans, her most comfortable, and a tight fitting white t-shirt with '100 Cute' written across the front of it. Her brown hair, shoulder length, was pulled back in a ponytail.

The sixteen-year-old girl jogged down the hall, her feet making a slight 'whisking' sound on the wooden planking. She slid, literally, into the kitchen, grabbing onto the marble top of the bar in the center of the room to keep from falling. Her mom, an older lady with light gray hair and dressed in a black skirt and loose white blouse, stood at the sink, her hands in the soapy water. Her mother didn't look back at her, but she knew she was there.

"Hey mom." The young girl said as she appeared at her side, taking a dish from her, rinsing it, drying it, and then placing it on the counter where a towel waited for them.

"Hello dear, thanks for the help." The woman said, lightly nudging her daughter and smiling. One look at the young girl though and she could tell that her mind was a thousand miles away. She knew where it was though. _That Game._

"Come on ma, speed it up a bit willya?" Ros said jokingly, though deep down inside she was screaming those same words. If she didn't hurry… quickly she rinsed and dried every piece of stoneware that was set in front of her until there was nothing left, the dishwater empty, and a frown on her mother's face.

"Hon, would you like to watch a movie with me and your Don?" Her mom asked as she pulled the stopper out of the sink and reached for a clean towel to dry her hands on.

"No thanks, I have some things I need to finish." The girl said as she picked up plates and set them in their places in the cabinet. Her mother watched her, though she wasn't aware of it, sadness in her eyes and worry creasing her skin.

"I don't know about this game you're playing hon… it seems to occupy a lot of your time.." She started, voicing a concern that had been spoken of many times in the past weeks. And as always, it was ignored, mostly. Her daughter merely put the last glass in the cabinet and turned to her mother, hugging her tightly around the waist, then backed up and started to her room.

"You worry to much ma, I won't be on much longer. Promise!" She said over her shoulder. As her feet left the kitchen and touched down on the hard surface of the hall, she began to run, pushing into her room as if in a race. It wasn't but a moment later when she again had the gauntlet on her head, her eyes seeing another world as she logged in and once again became part of Hybrid World.

●◦●◦●

Tetsu stood panting at the entrance to the cave. Only once had he been accosted on his journey, but after that brief encounter he'd chose to run the rest of the way rather than walk. The one thing he had come across was a lost troll, searching for the rest of its tribe. Tetsu's dream had not been to defeat a lone troll, but it had happened that way, though that lone troll had been of a higher level and not so easily defeated. Couple that with the fact that Tetsu was out of potions… and it made for a wary knight indeed. Now though, he'd made it, a save point. Here his health would be refilled and he would gain at least a moderate amount of rest before the last boss was faced.

Slowly he walked until the mouth loomed over him, darkness waiting on the other side. An eerie feeling slowly stole over his senses, causing his skin to crawl slightly with its power. Something was wrong with this place, he thought. Something that tickled just at the back of his mind, an almost audible voice trying to warn him to not go any further…So he walked on, and entered the darkness.

Immediately he was engulfed in an icy coldness as the game auto-saved, restoring his health and stamina at the same time. He took another stride, as if wading through freezing water, and broke through to the other side. His first few steps were somewhat unstable, as they always were when he entered a place between levels, a gateway if you please. Such was the cave, a place that existed, yet did not exist, for its only purpose was to test those who wished to pass on to the next level.

Bright blue eyes took in his surroundings all at once, searching automatically for any and all dangers that may be lurking at the start of the Cavern. Nothing appeared to him at first, but there were so many shadows… he found himself standing on an uneven floor of stone, strange runes drawn on its surface, which gave off a faint luminescent azure color. The dim light filled the area, illuminating the walls that were starting to seem a bit to close. He looked up and found that the ceiling stretched on into the darkness, the light refusing to meet the top of it. As his gaze traveled back down he spotted against the wall to his right an unlit torch, no doubt there for his use.

So thinking he walked to it and pulled it from its ring in the wall, smelling a faint scent of fuel that would keep the torch lightable for decades. His free hand reached into a pouch on his side and pulled out a piece of steel. He held it in his hand for a moment, feeling the cold metal, his eyes slipping closed for just a minute, relishing the peace that would soon pass. For some reason he knew that once the steel was stuck, the light brought into birth, something would change, the silence that now engulfed him would fall away into death.

A deep breath, a silent prayer, and a tightening of his hand on the torch. He struck the steel against the wall once, casting a few sparks. The hum of the two elements meeting sounded deafening to his ears. His hand clenched the steel, prepared to strike again, when a voice interrupted his movements.

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you." Said the voice, soft and almost musical, though somewhat deep. Tetsu's spun, crouching somewhat, the torch held now as a club in place of his sword, which rested in its scabbard. His eyes narrowed as a figure stepped toward him from the cave entrance. Robes of malleable material shimmered in the blue light of the floor, azure and silver with runes etched on the cloth. A hood was pulled up over her head, but beneath it he could capture a hint of lilac colored eyes, and a few strands of light hued hair. His first inclination was to bow to this beauty robed in flesh, but his second took over and he took a step back. Ros had told him never to trust a magic user.

"And why shouldn't I?" He said slowly, cursing himself for keeping a grip on the torch and not on the hilt of his sword.

"Because," The woman said, "You have felt the wrongness, right? Sensed it somehow? I can tell… I can see." Her cryptic message worried him slightly. Yes, he had felt something wrong, knew that there was a strangeness permeating the air.

"And if I have? What does that have to do with the lighting of a torch?" He replied, starting to straighten up somewhat as it didn't appear the woman would attack.

"The beasts that slumber above hate light, and to bring light here would awaken them. Do you want thousands of wereicks angry at you?" All of this was said calmly as the woman stepped closer, more of the strange light revealing her to the knight. Beneath the robes she wore black, as he could tell by her legs as the robes parted slightly with her movement. She was obviously a little more than just a mage. The black was leather, or more precisely, a type of leather armor.

Tetsu knew that wereicks were the game's version of bats, though these would bite you and refuse to release until they had sucked out every last drop of manna from your body. If what she said was true… He looked down now, and found himself staring into her face. Light markings decorated the tan skin around her eyes, what appeared to be wings drawn on her flesh in silver paint, the tips trailing down to her jaw line, leaving a faint trail of mercury.

"I thank you, for I did not know." She cocked her head to the side slightly as he said this.

"Of course you did. Like I said, you felt something strange, but unlike myself, you ignored it. It was really quite obvious if you'd only taken a moment to sort it out. Others have undoubtedly passed before you on this journey, and yet the unlit torch remains. Funny, wouldn't you say?" He tried to speak, but before he could she went on. "Now then, place the torch back into its rung on the wall, and I'd ask for you to accompany me a short ways, as we are both alone and about to face the boss of this level. I'd just assume you would want someone to watch your back, as I would mine."

With that said she swept past him, her robes making a slight _swish_ sound as the brushed against his armor. He stared at the spot she'd vacated, then turned and watched as she walked away, no doubt expecting him to simply follow. He would, of course, for he couldn't let a lady venture into the depths of the cavern alone, but first… the torch was hard in his hands as he brought it up before him, one hand on one end, the other on the opposite. With strength born of experience he flexed and bent the wood, snapping it in half. Splinters rained down on him as the wood shattered.

The woman had stopped and smiled slightly at the sound, then waited as the knight let the two useless halves fall to the ground before continuing. It was only a second or two later when she heard his boots on the stone floor, and then felt him beside her, his gauntlet-covered hand resting on the pommel of his large sword. She glanced up at him as they walked and he took her look to be a question of his actions.

"I didn't want to leave it for someone else to find and use." He said defensively.

"I didn't say anything." She said, trying to hide a smile along with her amusement. She knew by now that he must be relatively new to the game, yet he'd made it this far.

"You were thinking it."

"Oh, so you are a mind-reading knight then?"

He blushed somewhat, if that's possible. "No." He could tell she was making fun of him. He hated that more than anything else. It wasn't that he was slow or anything, just that sometimes the obvious wasn't so obvious. The only person that never treated him like that, or didn't give him those secretive looks, was Ros. Probably because she just didn't care for games or his feelings, so if she thought something, she said it.

"My name is Ceisyl." The woman said, turning her gaze from his face and focusing on the dark path they walked.

"Tetsu." The knight replied, trying to gather back some of his torn dignity. She said nothing else so he took the silence as an opportunity to watch their surroundings. They had left the entrance of the cave and now walked down what could only be termed a hall, the blue runes still lighting the way before them. Above them the ceiling was still out of view, though every now and then Tetsu could hear a slight shuffle as the creatures housed there moved. He was about to speak when something dropped to the stone floor a few yards ahead of them, untouched by the light, and thus covered in shadows.

. Heavy breathing filled the air along with a snort and low growl. Ceisyl and Tetsu stopped immediately, his hand closing around the hilt of his blade, half drawing it from its scabbard. A solid footfall sounded, filling the cavern around them with dread, about the same time as a terrible smell assaulted their senses. Two golden eyes shone from the darkness, large and luminous. Tetsu realized that with the floor glowing as it was, they made a perfect target.

"Minotaur." The woman whispered, a slight edge of fear in her voice. For a creature such as this hadn't been seen in the game since its earliest days, judging them too violent for the characters, since even their programs were almost impossible to control. It was said that in the early stages of the game some Minotaur tribes even went crazy, lost their main programming, and destroyed several villages. Those were just legends though, but still…

"Weren't they all destroyed a while back?" Tetsu asked, pulling his sword free from the sheath it had rested in. The light from the floor reflected off of its gleaming surface, causing the blade to look almost as if it was aglow.

"So I thought…" The girl replied, but no further conversation was allowed as suddenly the creature acted. From the shadows of the cave the nightmare came, a giant hulking beast, bare from the waist up with heavy, corded muscles glistening with sweat. His arms were as large as the trunks of small trees, his chest as wide as a barrel. In both hands he held massive double-bladed axs. His eyes were set further apart on his face than humans, and from this forehead sprouted twin horns, which curled and ran back along his dark hair. Large canines showed yellow and wet in the blue light of the floor as the beast roared its challenge, running in a straight line for the two.

Ceisyl had already begun forming the words, and now finished her incantation as the creature came within ten feet of them. Her left hand shot up, the robbed sleeve falling back to reveal the tan flesh of her arm, strange markings decorating the surface. From her fingers it appeared as if dust began to fall, but before the dust could fall it was caught up by an invisible wind and shot at the Minotaur. The dust became darts, hot and glowing white with heat, hundreds of specks of pain that none could hope to dodge.

Tetsu could only at first stare in awe at the creature, never before seeing anything to rival its brute strength and the force of power that it wielded with ease. Admiration shone in his eyes for a brief second. Then he realized, as if waking from a dream…

"This thing wants to kill us.." He murmured, not realizing he'd said it aloud.

"Gee, you think?" Ceisyl said, her fingers already moving in the intricate patterns of another spell, hoping that her first attack would give them time to act.

The darts hit the beast as he closed in, only a few feet away, his stench now overwhelming. He fell back a few steps, a howl of pain ripped from his throat as he stepped back even further, his eyes locked on the mage, knowing her as the threat. With a low growl he crouched, blood trickling down his body, the smell of burnt flesh staining the air. With his powerful legs, and agility born of evil, he jumped, straight up. It was only a second later that he was gone, swallowed in the darkness.

Ceisyl stopped her spell casting, looking up with worry. In the air the beast made not a sound, he could appear anywhere. Behind, in front again, above…

Tetsu heard it first, the sound of the air being split by something, a whooshing sound that usually heralded… He turned to the mage and shoved her away, then jumped back himself as an ax crashed by, then slammed into the ground in a shower of sparks, the blade biting into the stone. He was about to move when he heard another sound, this one of something else falling, only this thing was larger, much larger, than an ax.

"Run! Run Ceisyl!" Tetsu yelled, backing up against the solid wall of the cave as the enormous beast landed above his ax. It bent down, grasped the large weapon, and with a single tug pulled it from the floor.

He's got to be one of the highest levels… how can I even hope… 

The Minotaur weapon retrieved, he turned to where he could sense the lady, the one who had caused him such pain. As close as they were to one another, she would have no chance to cast a spell, this he knew, in his limited intelligence. He would cleave her in two before her first word could be uttered. And so he advanced, his ears detecting the faint rustling of a robe, the one she had worn, the one that would soon be soaked in her blood, the one that the dwarf would be buried in.

Dwarf. The Minotaur looked puzzled for a moment.

"Bloody foul-smelling son of an ox herding whore!" He heard, shouted from the darkness. Before he could decipher the words or their meaning, a familiar sound filled the area, that of something splitting the air again, much the same sound as when he'd thrown his ax at the mage. But he hadn't thrown his ax; in fact it was still in his hand, so what-

A solid 'chunk' sound was heard as a large battle-ax struck the brute in his upper arm, nearly severing the limb. Pain was a dim memory at first, but it was something that was fast coming back to his mind as nerves were frayed and bones crushed in his arm. He looked at the ax in puzzlement.

That isn't mine… he though, just as a small creature leapt out of the darkness, much as he had done earlier, though this one was hairy and wearing a helm, and shouting in a language that the beast couldn't comprehend.

"Now gimme me bloody ax, ye sorry son of an elf!" The creature roared as it landed on his body, the small legs of the man bracing themselves on his own arm and using his momentum to pull the ax free. As it began to come loose from the Minotaur's arm, a sickening crunch was heard, the ax bringing with it several fragments of bone.

Pain registered in the Minotaur's mind, as well as the dwarf who had just attacked him, and the mage that was probably getting away, and the Dark Knight that was stepping from the shadows. Dark Knight? A stupid grin almost fell upon his face as the man dressed in black, bearing the marks of a high order, appeared. Hope flared briefly in the beast's heart, for these were the masters of the Minotaur, so he was undoubtedly here to save him, to help him conquer this place in the name of their Lord.

But it didn't have time to prostrate himself, or to beg for help, for in the confusion that had gone on, Tetsu found the strength to act. It wasn't that he'd been scared, more just unsure of himself. Always before he'd had someone at his side, but now, for almost the first time in the game, he had to think and act for himself. As the beast poured blood from his arm, and the dwarf wrestled with his embedded ax, the knight had leapt. His armor became lighter than air as he jumped, his momentum taking him just above the wounded creature. He was only suspended in the air a moment before gravity took hold and created his descent. In those few seconds left he brought his sword up above him, both fists clasped on the long hilt, the blade pointing straight down, his body becoming a living guillotine. As his knees touched the shoulder of the Minotaur, he struck.

His shout filled the air, mingled with the sound of steel slipping through flesh and bone, the grating sound of cracking skin. Tetsu pushed his sword down into the Minotaur's body, the point of entry being the base of the beast's neck, then down into its heart, severing its spine and lungs. He pushed down with all his might until naught but the hilt remained in his blood soaked hands. His body shook with adrenaline as the dying creature convulsed beneath him, its cries of pain rocking the walls.

Willow, ignorant of all that had transpired, finally yanked his ax free and in so doing crashed to the floor. Immediately he was up though, bloody ax in hand, looking around and wondering at everyone.

"What the bloody…" He started, but the sound of a sword sliding on flesh stopped him and caused the dwarf to look up. There he saw the knight, rising, sword in hand, then watched as the man leapt down to the other side of the Minotaur. The creature gave on last gurgling cry and then collapsed, falling so that its head slammed into the opposite wall, splitting his skull open for all to see.

Jace let his hand slip from the hilt of Gemini, knowing that once again his blade would not be needed. He's only had to pull his sword from its place on his back once, and that was to ward off trouble with another PK, this time a warrior who only wanted their items, not their services.

His eyes took in the scene, going from the fallen Minotaur, to the Mage backed up against a wall, to the lone knight who was sheathing his bloodstained sword. The creature still lay twitching, its blood pooling under its body. It would disappear at any moment, giving the knight and the mage, and willow, experience garnished from the kill. He looked to Willow, the dwarf grumbling under his breath about not being able to finish the thing off.

"I feel that you will have more of an opportunity, my friend." The Dark Knight whispered, his head turning away from the group and staring off into the darkness, which for him wasn't very dark at all. More creatures such as this awaited them; of this he was sure. Evil can sense evil, or so it was said. He turned back to find the woman staring down at the floor, her fists clenched at her sides. The young knight had sheathed his sword and was making his way to her, stepping over, and around, the fallen beast. Concern was evident on his features.

"Willow, we should go. This will have drawn notice, don't you think?" He said, speaking loud enough for the still fuming dwarf to hear. He watched the short figure turn toward him, then look over at the two figures near the wall.

"Are ye thinking to ask em?" He said, hiking a thumb toward the knight and the mage.

"A Knight of Paladin and a Mage? Do you think they would be assets or weights?" Jace said quietly, meaning no disrespect to either, just stating truth.

"Well now… I'm not to knowin that meself… but twoud be rude not to offer it a'least."

Jace sighed.

"Very well… but I'm not begging, nor asking twice." He warned, watching as willow turned and made his way to them. Neither had really been talking, having only just met themselves, so both turned to regard the dwarf as he approached.

"Do ye be wantin' to travel wit us, knight, mage?" The stout man said as he came to a stop before them. The two looked at each other, the knight shrugged while the mage nodded.

"That would be nice, thank you. And no doubt beneficial to us all." She added, her eyes also rising from the dwarf to include the Dark Knight standing on the outskirts of the shadows. She shifted her gaze from Jace to Tetsu. "You don't mind traveling in the company of a Dark Knight, do you, Tetsu?" She asked, almost sweetly.

The young knight took the chance to stare at his opposite. It was only a game, yet even still… there was usually an open hostility to those of the separate orders. Dark Knights were generally bullies, or PK's. It was very seldom that they simply played the game. Yet here one was, and in the company of a dwarf, and had come to their aide…

"I have no problem with it." He said, taking his eyes from Jace and letting them rest on the mage.

"Then it's settled!" She said, pushing away from the wall and walking toward Jace, and the darkness. "Let's get this over with."

Tetsu and Willow followed, but as the woman started to sweep by Jace his hand shot out, catching hold of her wrist. He held it loosely, but even so, Tetsu's hand went to his hilt and hers to her pouch with her free hand.

"Please," He said quietly, "Do not walk before me. My eyesight is better than yours, so it would benefit us for me to take the lead. I am sure you are not accustomed to this, so please allow me this one indulgence."

Her eyes widened slightly, then she snatched her hand away and rubbed her wrist. She regarded him coolly, starting to regain some of her momentarily lost dignity.

"Very well." She said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But be warned, next time you touch me without permission may well be your last.

Willow started to laugh behind her, but a shifting of Jace's gaze to him stopped the dwarf short. The Paladin of Darkness simply bowed to the mage and turned away, his steps carrying him silently into the darkness until he was gone. No one could see the smile on his face, or hear the silent laugh in his mind. Behind him he heard the others start to follow, the light of the floor-runes guiding their path, he, the embodiment of the game's evil, guarding their footsteps.

And behind them, the body of the Minotaur lay, still, in a pool of its blood, refusing to melt away into a digital hell, as if should have some time ago.


	3. Chapter 3

●◦●◦●

Chapter III:. Awakening 

●◦●◦●

She flew over the keyboard, powers, weapons, and creatures coming to life at the mere stroke of her fingers. A smile was upon her lips, not one of happiness or pleasure, but of victory, of power, a sadistic joy. She sat before a multitude of monitors, each one showing a different scene of Hybrid World, each one working together for a singular purpose. On her head rested the Gauntlet. Though unlike everyone else playing the game, she was not a character, mucking about in a fantasy realm of another's creation.

No, she was one of those creators, a Keeper, as they were termed, though nothing like most keepers, whose jobs were to maintain the server against crashes or hacking, her job was much, much different. Tasha, as she was called, was special.

Since birth she had been around computers. Her first toy was a laptop, her lullaby the whirring of computer fans. When most children were out playing sports, she was in her room writing programs and cracking impossible files. She had grown up with a single tutor who taught her everything from math to science, English to literature. But the technical part of her life, for that she was her own teacher. The programs in computers seemed to speak to her, as if they had their own language separate from everyone else on earth. And beyond.

Even though she was raised in the shadows, Tasha was still a beautiful young woman. Platinum blonde hair fell just below her shoulders, dark blue eyes shone with a fire that was unnatural in one her age. She was average height, standing at 5'8, but she was rarely seen standing.

Her fingers paused for a moment as the bones of her hands began to cramp, having been working for hours at her desk. She reached up and took the gauntlet off of her head momentarily, several strands plastered to her forehead by sweat. Her eyes glanced up at the clock on the wall of her room, the hands showing it to be 9:55.

_Only five minutes left…_ She thought as she stretched, the bones in her back popping slightly, fingers reaching toward the ceiling. She looked around her room.

It was a wreck. Her area itself was in the basement of a large corporate building, since her father was the owner of said building. It was made up of several large rooms and had long ago been turned into an apartment for the girl. The room she was in now was dubbed her 'workshop', which housed a black leather couch along one wall, a pool table in the center, and on the wall opposite the couch rested her 'center'. It was a network of computers more vast than many could dream of. Flat Screen monitors decorated the wall, a line of towers sat on the floor, two keyboards sat before her. Each monitor was alive with characters and places, people that the Keeper had her 'eye' on.

She placed her gauntlet back on her head, a black affair much different than any other in the world, one created just for her. In a matter of seconds she was in, changing, rewriting, and watching as the world passed by. She had watched in amusement as players flocked to the forests of level twelve, all heading toward the cave at the edge of the woods. Many had given up and left the game, but in less than ten minutes they had returned, unable to sleep or rest without trying one last time. Hundreds of thousands were logged into the servers now, fast approaching the one million mark. Soon it would be time. Her skin shivered in anticipation.

9:59.

One minute to go, and the world would forever change, and all by the stroke of a key, the power of her Magic.

●◦●◦●

A shiver ran through his body, the kind one would attribute to a person stepping on your grave. It could be expected though, since he was alone in the darkness of the cave with only the sounds of those following behind him as company. It was fine though, to him. It was how he usually preferred it. Alone, in the dark, with nothing but himself to count on…

He paused for a moment. A sudden, chilling wind had all of a sudden began to blow against him, coming from the direction they were heading in. It was still dark up further on, but the feeling of something there, watching and waiting, stole over his senses. A dread malevolence was there; he knew it. Never before in the game had anything felt this real, his blood this alive, as it did now. Every fiber of his being was on edge, pumping with adrenaline.

It was starting to scare him.

Before Jace could ponder it though the others were upon him, the blue light from the floor illuminating his back, shining off the black steel of his armor. Gemini, in its perch on his back, began to drink in the light, causing shadows and darkness to seep back in around the Knight. The others paused, Willow sending a hand to the ax handle waiting over his shoulder. Tetsu tensed, his stressed muscles already taut, a hand on the hilt of his sword. Ceisyl let a hand slip to a pouch at her side, preparing. All was silent for a moment.

"Well lad, what the bloody-" Jace held up a black covered hand, his fist closed, shutting off the dwarf's sudden question without a word.

"Do you not feel it…?" The Dark Knight whispered, his green eyes burning through the narrow slits of his helm. He stared straight ahead into the darkness, still feeling a strange, chilling wind sweeping over him. It invaded every possible opening in his armor, bringing small bumps to rise along his flesh.

The others behind him strained to break the pitch with their sight, but to no avail. Willow, growing impatient, pulled his massive ax from its notch on his back and started to step around Jace, but the knight's other hand shot out, grabbing one of the horns of the dwarf's helm.

"Hold, my friend." He turned his head slightly, noticing the mage on his left, catching her eyes with his. "You don't feel this…wind?" He asked softly, an eerie feeling starting to wrap around him. She shook her head slowly, her eyes widened, pupils large in the twilight.

He wanted to run. Everything within him said to drop his sword and rip the gauntlet off of his head, to wake up in the real world and shake off this feeling of terror, of death. Something was wrong, so wrong that it caused a shiver to descend his body.

"Something's wrong…"

●◦●◦●

Collin's hands left the keyboard, rising slowly in the air, first one then the other closing over the gauntlet that rested upon his head. His fingers tightened, starting to pull it away from his slick flesh-

●◦●◦●

Tasha watched those in the cavern, her eyes drawn to one, the Knight of Palidine, Tetsu. She knew him, outside of the game at least, and took great pleasure in watching him bumble about in the darkness. The fact that he'd killed her lovely creation though…

As her eyes scanned the monitor they lit upon the Dark Knight, and as she watched his body began to fade somewhat.

"He's taking off his gauntlet!" She screamed to no one.

Her fingers flew over the keyboard, symbols unknown to man appearing and vanishing in a matter of seconds.

30 seconds.

●◦●◦●

Jace, his eyes still upon the mage, slowly began to vanish. He was sad to go, but this wrongness, whatever it was, had a grip on him that wouldn't let go.

_But what will happen to the others?_

The thought came unbidden into his mind, but the thought took solid form as something flew past him. A streak of black; the soft sound of an object pushing through the air. And then a cry. His eyes widened as an arrow seemingly blossomed from Ceisyl's chest, accompanied by a spreading of crimson fluid. Her startled eyes lowered to see the black shaft protruding from her body, the wood still quivering with impact. She looked back up at Jace, head slowly rising, and disbelief marring her features.

●◦●◦●

Collin cursed out loud and slammed the gauntlet back down, falling once again into the world of Hybrid.

●◦●◦●

The Dark Knight's body came back to full power at once, the fading gray giving way to piercing darkness.

Tetsu, ever the vigilant Knight, already had moved behind the mage, his arms wrapping around her body, keeping her from falling. Slowly he lowered her to the ground. He gingerly touched the black arrow, feeling evil emitting from it. He looked up at Jace, anger shining through his blue orbs.

"We are lit up as if it were noon." Jace said, turning. "_Anak._" He said, and instantly a globe of darkness fell over them, so vast that it was almost choking. Already he was moving, feeling his friend, Willow, at his side.

"I'm comin wit ye lad," Was all he said, and Jace, not wanting to argue, simply nodded. He knew that dwarves saw fairly well underground. Something to do with the magic of the rocks, or so they said.

"Tetsu, watch over her." They were off, the Dark Knight reaching behind him, his hand gripping the hilt of Gemini, which caused the magic to release its hold on the ebony blade. The sword felt warm in his hand, knowing that soon blood would be spilt by it.

The two stalked down the corridor as quietly as possible, which meant that it was only half a herd of stampeding cattle that was heard. Jace had no trouble walking as with shadows, but Willow on the other hand.. 'Dwarves tweren't built for runnin!' Willow was apt to say.

Jace could feel the wind still, blowing against them, carrying along its currents thoughts of darkness, forcing him almost to insanity. He fought it though, as he would a clan of orcs.

The cavern around them grew lighter, and soon a door came into view at what must be the end of the cave, and still no sign of their attacker. Jace halted.

"It must have been a PK." He said, staring at the large door. The door itself was constructed of two pieces, what most would term French doors, or double doors. They weren't carved of wood though, but of stone. Strange designs were engraved into the surface of them, mostly resembling dragons eating one another, but he couldn't be sure. They rose at least twenty feet into the air, and no sign of a handle or knob visible. In the center of the doors was a thin silver line though, one which ran from floor to the top of the entryway, no doubt a light from the room beyond.

Willow said nothing, only stared at the door, as if entranced.

"Lad… there could be treasure beyond that door…" His eyes were enormous, for a dwarf, and seemed to be filled with thousands of tiny stars, his black pupils reflecting the light of the doorway.

"Will, do you know what you're saying?" Jace said, scoffing at the notion. "There is no doubt a beast beyond this gateway. I still smell evil… and it comes from there." He nodded at the door.

"Bah! You and yer stupid superstitions! Why the bloody remorx would a beast be in there? Treasure, I'm a tellin' ya lad."

Willow was about to continue on to the door when Jace shook his head, then grabbed the dwarf by the back of his tunic. The short man turned, sputtering in indignation, battle ax held firmly in hand, fire burning in his eyes.

"Do you hear yourself… me…" The knight said softly, looking down at his friend. Willow's eyes widened once more, this time in shock. His ax fell to the floor. He lifted a hand to his face, covering it for a minute, then looked back up to Jace.

"What the… what's going on, Collin?"

Jace shook his head once more, and then began advancing upon the closed doorway.

"I don't know, but I think whatever it is will be behind this door."

"No lad!" Willow yelled, bending to pick his ax up from the floor, then spun and ran after the Dark Knight, who was fast approaching the door, his face grim, shoulders set. The light grew brighter the closer they got until it was almost like looking into the sun. Heat emitted from the crack, white heat one would feel from a hot iron, dry and burning. Jace felt it starting to cook his skin inside the black armor, turning the metal into a skillet.

"But how do we get in…" The knight whispered, mostly to himself, ignoring the burning sensation. A thought came to him and he reached around to his back. His hand closed upon the hilt of a long, curved dagger, and he pulled it free. It slowly slid out of its sheath, which was situated inside his armor. As soon as the knife was free it began to hum, vibrating with a thirst for power. He brought it around, holding it in front of his body, eyes traveling down the length of the black blade. It was an absorber, meaning that it absorbed any power that it came into contact with and contained it within the knife itself, or its user.

Willow looked up and noticed the knife.

"Are ye sure lad...remember last time ye used the thing…" He said softly, thinking back to a time when the knifes powers had poured into the knight, and him being unable to contain them, had been killed and lost over ten hours of progress.

"It's the only way my friend. Let's crack the shell…" He said, and then before willow could offer any more objections he lifted the knife high, and then plunged it into the sliver of heat.

A small explosion rocked their immediate area and sent them both flying backwards. The light swelled and bucked, ropes of its power appearing, twisting and lashing out against itself, illuminating the cavern. In the center of the maelstrom of light was a speck of blackness, the Dagger. Every piece of translucent power was drawn to, and into that one blemish. A keening sound split the air as the doors began to move, wicked and blinding light slashing out against the darkness, trying to maintain its hold on the ethereal plane, but unable to do so against the arcane power of the knife.

Jace propped himself up on his hands, eyes squinting against the glare that was brighter than any sun he'd ever seen. He looked to his side and saw the dwarf stirring, muttering under his breath as he tried to rise from his back. The knight turned his gaze back to the doors.

The light began to recede, drawing with it the heat that had washed over and into the room, the heat that had threatened to cook them all alive. As the brightness began to fade, the doors started to swing open on silent hinges. They could see beyond now, into a circular room.

With a little effort the knight lifted himself from the ground, feeling pain rush through every nerve. The single explosion had been like a mighty hand slamming into his body. He reached and pulled Willow to his feet, then turned and gazed into the room. From what he could see it was completely circular, the only break in the design being another door opposite the one they'd opened. The walls were white marble and reflected the faint light of torches which lined the walls. In the center of the room was a black pedestal on which a gem rested, caught in a form of magic, simply floating above the floor. Something about the rock tickled the back of his memory, but he put it away for now.

"We must get the others." He said, turning away from the inviting doorway and walking back into the darkness of the tunnel. Willow only nodded and walked after him, being sure to keep one hand on the hilt of his ax, as Jace did on his sword. The knife, he knew, was still hanging suspended in the air and would remain so until he plucked it out. He was too weak at the moment though to even attempt to control the powerful weapon.

It wasn't long before they came upon the mage and the knight, still in the same position they had left them in. The knight's hand was on the hilt of his sword, the blade showing half naked in the pale blue light of the cavern.

"Put that away, knight, it's only us." Jace said as they stepped from the shadows. "Sorry the darkness around you faded, but I needed all of my energy to open the door." He knelt down by the mage and felt the pulse at her neck. It was weak.

"Door?" Tetsu said, somewhat confused. Then he knew. "You found the gateway. There was no boss?" He asked almost excitedly. Jace still stood over the body of Ceisyl.

"Why has she not logged out and come back? Surely she would have had time, the cave entry was a save point." He stood and brushed off his hands, looking from the pale mage to the knight.

"I tried to wake her, but she wouldn't budge. If I knew her server port…" He shrugged and looked back down at her.

Jace reached into a pouch and pulled out a small green vile, then tossed it to the knight.

"Give her this, it should restore her. I only have one more… so don't spill a drop."

Tetsu nodded and bent to her, his fingers deftly popping the cork on the potion bottle. He placed it to her lips and forced them open, then emptied the contents into the girl's mouth. At once color began to return to her cheeks, her eyes opened softly, though still etched with pain. Slowly one of her hands moved, coming to rest on the shaft of the black arrow still in her chest. She murmured a few words and the shaft began to glow, then dim, finally until it was so dark that it fell in upon itself and turned to nothing but ash.

"Thank you," She said softly, staring up at Tetsu, already starting to rise. He shook his head.

"Wasn't me, I'm out. It was the Dark Knight." He turned to look only to find the man gone, in his place the gruff looking dwarf.

"He's to makin' sure no more arro's come out o' the dark." Willow said, hiking a thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of Jace. "We best be movin afore something else comes along." The dwarf turned and began walking, soon melting into the night.

"He said something about opening a door… I think they found the gateway, let's hurry!" The young knight said as he stood. His hand was held down to help the mage up, but she ignored it and stood on her own, howbeit a bit shakily. Tetsu's face hardened a little at this. "I am only trying to help, my lady." He said stiffly.

Instead of answering, the mage's hand went to a pouch hidden inside her robes, and from there she pulled a small golden figurine. It was in the shape of a sleeping dragon, silver with a streak of ebony running down its back, from head to tail. She let the tiny creature rest in the palm of her hand, then lifted the open palm to her lips, and blew. As her breath caressed the figure, words softly spoken joined them, becoming a spell of immense power. Before Tetsu's eyes the figurine moved, then slowly the still form came to life. It grew, wings and legs stretching as it woke from its slumber, golden eyes opening to regard the darkness. The tiny dragon became a three-foot long minor dragon in seconds.

"Hello, Synmora." The girl said softly, the dragon, hearing her voice, turning to nuzzle its scaled head against her chin. She turned to the knight as the small dragon's wings fanned out, then lifted the serpent into the air and onto her shoulder. "You see, Sir Knight, I need no assistance."

Tetsu bowed his head appreciatively, knowing that to capture and tame a dragon, even a minor one, was a remarkable act. From what he knew, minor dragons were crafted to have immense power, once they came of age and experience. He expected that this one could already shape-shift and enlarge its body.

Without a word he turned from the mage and her pet and started down the dark passageway, putting all thoughts of women and dragons out of his mind, focusing on nothing but what lay ahead.

●◦●◦●

Willow found Jace where he expected he would, standing before the open doorway, eyes locked onto the obsidian great dagger that was for the moment lodged in mid air, contained there by the unimaginable amount of power coursing through its veins. The Dark Knight stood there, his dark eyes caressing each and every inch of the gleaming black blade, his hands twitching to grasp its hilt and feel the power rush through his own body.

"Ye can't do it now lad, you wouldna have the strength to hold on." The dwarf said as he came to stand beside his friend. "The last time… that was a new level of berserk, somethin' I'd never seen or thought possible. It's too strong Jace."

The warrior sighed. Willow was right. The dagger was crafted for someone of a much higher level, but through a hack of his own design he had equipped it to his own inventory. And now there it stood; only a few inches away, yet it might as well have been a thousand miles. He reached out, his hand coming only a breath away from the hilt, feeling the power radiating into his skin, his core, his soul of the game.

"I'll be back." He whispered. Then, without a backward glance he ducked underneath the dagger and strode through the doorway. For a second it appeared as if the room shifted, but then all was normal.

He looked around the room, yet still he could see nothing but a pedestal in the center of the room, so heavily guarded by magic that he would most likely die before getting within ten feet of it, and the door on the other side. Silently he began walking around the room, avoiding the center where rested the dais and the gem. The gem itself was plain to the eyes, seeming nothing more than an over-sized diamond. The magic around the gem though… it glistened as a rainbow through the morning mist. So strong and deep was the spell that protected the gem that it could be felt, tasted, and no doubt touched.

"Don't even think about it Will." Jace said over his shoulder as they circumnavigated the room, coming upon the closed door. He knew that sometimes the dwarf loved nothing more than to 'find' treasures and special items throughout the game.

"Never a thought lad." The dwarf said. Hearing something he stopped and turned around, noticing the Mage and Knight making their way into the room, both eyeing the dagger with trepidation, no doubt sensing the evil that hung about it as a shroud. He noticed that the girl had something perched on her shoulder, but given the fact that they were probably about to face a boss, or enter the next level, he didn't care.

Tetsu spotted the Dark Knight and the Dwarf immediately and noticed that they both had given a wide berth to the thing in the center of the room, so he did likewise. Ceisyl however had stopped after she'd entered the room and was now staring at the floating gem. A calculating light had come into her eyes and he could see her lips moving slightly, as if trying to capture some essence of the magic that held the stone in place.

"The door is just over there." The knight said, breaking her concentration. She glowered at him for a moment, giving him a look that would have flayed him alive.

"I am aware of that, thank you. You may join the others, I will be along shortly."

"Just don't get us all killed, you know, after we saved you and all." The knight said sarcastically. He shook his head and walked off, muttering under his breath about stupid, self-absorbed witches.

Ceisyl turned back to her concentration, feeling out along the threads of magic, testing each one, following it until it came to a knot of power. In her eyes she could separate each strand of arcane knowledge that had been laid over the gem. It was as if someone had set down a set of schematics before her eyes and then given her the legend to it.

It was a few moments later when she was jerked back into herself, realizing what she had been doing, and how that it was impossible to do so in a game. Perhaps she had been at this too long, starting to see things that weren't there… maybe she should log off and just call it a night before she lost her mind…

●◦●◦●

Jace stood before the door, an ordinary door with a golden knob and no keyhole. It was dark brown, constructed of ordinary wood. No magic constrained it; no powers were imbued into it.

It was only a door.

He felt Tetsu and Willow gather behind him, noticing that the mage was not with them. He felt along the atmosphere, feeling his power over wind coming to his call to locate the girl. The air currents brought to him her scent, mingled with that dark scent of his dagger, and he knew she was near it.

_No doubt enchanted by the gem._ He thought.

"Well let's break her enchantment…" He muttered to himself as his hand reached out, firmly grasping the door handle. He waited for it to happen, for something to shatter his world and send him flying headlong from the cave, or perhaps to simple disintegrate his body where it stood…

But nothing happened.

"Well-" Willow began, but before he could even start his sentence the wall before them exploded in a shower of stone and debris. The three of them were flung backwards by the force of impact, of something slamming into the other side of the door. Jace flew straight back, his body slamming into the barrier protecting the gem, which sent him soaring forward into the rubble that had been created from a yet unknown assailant. Thankfully he had kept his helm on, for he crashed head first into the crumbling stones, his HP draining as if it was being sucked from his body by a succubus.

"Those who seek entry are DENIED!" A voice thundered from above him, shaking the very foundations of the room. Gingerly Jace pushed himself up, and then rolled over onto his back. As the dust settled he could make out what was waiting for them at the gate to level thirteen. A rock troll. The biggest he'd ever seen.

The creature must have stood at least thirty feet tall, his body made up of stones and magic. This one was different though, for it also boasted a type of plate armor that covered most of its body. The armor was gray in color, almost blending in with the body of the troll, and in fact, if one did not look closely, it would appear as though it _was_ the body. Its head was uncovered, showing to the world its beady red eyes, bulbous stone nose, and gaping mouth complete with stone-hewn teeth. In its right hand it held an enormous spiked club, the size of a SUV, and obviously the tool that was used to crush the wall separating its lair and the chamber.

Jace cursed silently. A knight, a dwarf, a mage, and himself, against a rock troll this size. The odds were still in favor of the troll.

"Yous GONNA DIIEEEEE" It bellowed, lifting its club high into the air, preparing to bring it crashing home and most likely rip a hole through the mountain. And through Jace.

He rolled quickly to the right as he felt the wind breaking before the path of the club. His body was pulled up by Tetsu just as the weapon slammed home, sending both Knights flying headlong into the wall of the chamber. Jace kept his feet, as did the knight. Their bodies rang with the reverberation of the impact against the stone wall, sending pain shooting through them. Jace pulled his last potion from a pouch on his side and ripped off the cork, then drained it. He scowled at the taste and that knowledge that it was his last one.

"Have you seen the others?" Jace asked, looking to where the mage had last been standing.

"I heard Willow cry out just as the wall caved in, but after that, nothing. As for the mage, not a sound."

He should have logged out, he now realized.

"I think we've been spotted," Tetsu said, pointing toward the troll. Jace looked to where he pointed and saw that indeed they had, for the troll was flinging a handful of rocks at them as he watched. He couldn't expand the energy to shield them both, not if he expected to defeat the beast. But how could he protect himself and not Tetsu? The choice was taken from his hands in the next instant.

"_Proctectous!" _ The word sung out in a strong feminine voice and instantly a barrier sprung into existence in front of both the Dark Knight, and the Knight. Jace breathed a silent sigh of relief and chanced a glance to where the voice had come from, finding Ceisyl standing there, bloodied but looking strong and fit.

The rocks hit the barrier and bounced off harmlessly, but it didn't matter for the troll's attention was already pulled to the voice of the woman. His eyes narrowed, if possible, and he began once more gathering rocks into his hands for another assault, this time on the annoying female.

"Now." Jace whispered. He took off without a word of consent from Tetsu, his hand reaching up and to his back, grasping and pulling Gemini from its place. The sword sung into his grip, becoming one with its user. For a moment he felt invincible, but that feeling was soon lost as he took in the sheer enormity of what they faced. It was as big as a house, completely stone and metal. How could they even think to hurt something like that? His steps faltered as reality crashed down, telling him that they were all about to die here in this cavern.

"Do not despair my friend, I am with you." Tetsu's voice, though still unfamiliar, stabbed through the overwhelming feeling of dread that was freezing his insides. He was ashamed and emboldened all at once, shamed for giving up before he'd even tried, and lifted up by the courage of the strange knight. From the corner of his eye he could see Tetsu, armor shining blue and gold, sword naked to the unnatural light of the chamber. They were running along side one another now, climbing the hill of stone that was scattered before the giant.

●◦●◦●

The troll lifted above its head a handful of rocks; most the size of small children, and in one mighty swing lobbed them all in the direction of the mage. It barely registered two figures running towards it, and would have paid them no mind, but at that instant he felt an annoying sting in both of his ankles. Looking down he saw two humans hacking at his body, chipping away large chunks of his flesh with each swing of their empowered swords. Anger at the attack roared in his head, flowed through the dusty veins of his existence, and poured out in a single bellow that would have turned most men's insides to jelly.

Gnomsh, for this was the name given to him by his creator, kicked his left leg out, the one being hacked on by a human in black armor. He missed hitting the human, but he did cause the annoying pain. He was about to do the same to the other human on his other leg, but at that instant he felt the power of the arcane flowing from the man in black. It was then he knew that this thing was a threat, one that should be squashed with all haste. With a toothy grin that sent rocks crumbling from his mouth he raised his club, his own power forcing stalagmites to form on the surface, spikes to cleave the stupid human. With strength born of stone, he sent the club smashing down in a blow that would have turned a mighty oak tree into nothing more than toothpicks.

●◦●◦●

Jace had barely dodged the kick by the troll, even though he'd been expecting it. The thing could move almost quickly for something of its size and brainpower. As he knew it would, it turned its attention for the moment onto Tetsu, no doubt about to give a repeat performance. He let dark power flood into his body, increasing his strength and potency, reinforcing his already daunting might. Energy, renewed and empowered, soared along every nerve and fabric of his being. Without a doubt he would destroy this thing.

He watched as the troll turned back to him, somewhat surprised that it could have enough thought to realize he might pose more than a minimal amount of trouble due to his size. No thoughts were allowed to flow through his mind though, as at that moment the beast decided to do away with him all together. Down again the club came, though this time spikes were jutting out from almost every angle available.

Tetsu called out a warning at the same time as Ceisyl, though the Mage's warning came in the form of a streak of blue lightning, dancing across the troll's eyes and blinding it. Jace tried to jump backwards, but a large, broken rock caught his foot and sent him reeling backwards. It should have been over, he should have fallen and the club crushed him to powder, but it wasn't, it didn't. He unleashed a small amount of his power, calling upon the wind and air to come to his aid. Coils of atmosphere wrapped around his torso and pulled him backwards forcibly. The club crashed home, destroying what was left of the floor where the Dark Knight had moments ago stood.

Jace breathed a silent relief, and then attacked.

●◦●◦●

Tetsu watched in horror as it appeared to be the end of the other Knight, but then, by some miracle, the man made it out alive. He breathed a sigh of relief at about the same time as Jace, and like Jace he attacked. From a pouch inside his armor he pulled a small vial containing a red elixir. Instead of drinking it though he poured it upon his blade, bathing the steel in crimson. At once it began to glow, first a dull red, then brighter and deeper, soon becoming metallic. The light reflected off of his armor, showering the area in a pale red that spoke of blood and battle. He felt power flood his body and blade, surging through every inch and pore he possessed.

With crimson tinted eyes he looked up at the face of the troll, then back down at the hacked leg. He would tear the leg apart piece by piece. He had no doubt of that, no doubt that each blow of his word would chop deeper and deeper into the beast until there was at last nothing left for his blade to feast upon.

This he knew as well as he knew he would draw his next breath. He relished in it, the knowledge and feeling of power that he for a short while possessed. Never had he known that going berserk would feel so good.

He roared a battle cry to an unknown God.

●◦●◦●

Ceisyl was getting tired.

She had used more power within the last minutes than she had in weeks. First to shield the dwarf, then his friend and the knight, then herself, and then her attack upon the troll. Her power was considerable, but it was most definitely not absolute, nor infinite. She would have to change battle tactics soon, or else stay out of the fight all together.

Her eyes were drawn to the dwarf who lay just outside the doorway of the chamber, slowly regaining consciousness, but so far out of commission. Synmora perched on his stomach, his power helping to heal the short man. The small golden dragon felt her eyes on him and glanced up, the two sharing a silent communication. At once the dragon unfolded his wings and launched into the air, slowly beating his wings until he was hovering just before her.

Ceisyl reached out her hand toward the dragon, and as she did a light surrounded him. It blinded her so that she had to close her eyes, but even so she knew without a doubt what was happening. The small dragon was changing, becoming one of the many things that lied within his magical arsenal. From the sleek golden body came a sword, blade flashing in the torchlight, hilt basking in obsidian glory. It was as beautiful in this form as Synmora was in his dragon shape.

And just as deadly.

Her lilac eyes opened, her hand closing on the hilt that hovered before her. As her fingers closed around the stone-hard metal she felt its strength course through her body, filling her with its ecstasy. She turned away from the cavern, away from the dwarf, and faced the chamber and the troll. Firm determination took over her delicate features, and with her free hand she drew a symbol into the air. At once the robes that clothed her in shadows dissolved, morphed, and changed themselves into a flowing cloak of purple and silver. Her armor was revealed to the light, dark leather turned and textured to perfection, tailor fitted to her body and curves as a second skin.

Her vision locked onto the monstrosity. Her only purpose now was to destroy the thing before it destroyed her. She wished that she could say it was for the others, but the truth was that she trusted none of them, and knew that the creature must perish by her own hands or it may not perish at all. With this in mind she started into the chamber toward the troll, her pace quickening with each step until she was at a full run, cloak and hair billowing out behind her.

She was nearing the barrier that protected the stone, still she could read the magic that covered it, could almost tell where one spell stopped and another ended. Without slowing she leapt, up and against, her feet touching upon the shield, but instead of propelling her away as it had Jace, it remained solid and supported her weight. Over it she ran, her feet lighter than ever, seeming to glide over the surface as if the magic was propelling her forward of its own will and accord.

Then, just as she reached its apex it launched her, up and over, her body somersaulting into the air. Synmora came to bear in her hands, the long sword held tightly in her grip, poised over her head as she came out of her flip, directly above the troll. She saw then though that her momentum wouldn't carry her all of the way.

She was going to fall short. Her strike would never hit the troll, he was too far away.

●◦●◦●

As the club crashed into the floor Jace jumped, landing on the club itself, his body sandwiched between two spikes. He heard the troll shout a guttural grunt of triumph, his arm flexing as he lifted the club high once more. The creatures gaze turned then to the other annoyance, the knight, who had for some reason stopped his attack.

The troll couldn't make sense of the red glow that bathed the area below him, but a feminine voice in his head told him that it was bad. His club rose high, poised to strike. He would send this little bug to join its friend in a tortured oblivion.

And then darkness. It fell over him as wool, as if the lights had suddenly ceased to exist. He started to call out; to roar, or something loud enough to let himself know he was still alive, but at that moment he felt a presence. Something was above him, something that had brought the darkness.

Jace felt his power ebbing, his control over the currents of wind that kept him afloat slowly losing their hold. It was now or never. He had expanded too much power in one night without any elixirs to help regenerate his mana energy.

With this thought in mind he let go of Gemini, the onyx colored blade hovered before him, his lips moving silently in an incantation. He felt the welcome rush of magic surge within, coming from without, draining the air around him of its raw energy. He coerced that flow of energy into his blood, along his veins, then out through the pores of his skin. His arms rose, stretched to either side. From out of his gauntlets came black chains, which wrapped around his body once, then began to snake around the sword called Gemini.

Tiny chains, stronger than mithril, wrapped around the hilt of his sword, tightening. At once they were ripped away, causing Gemini to spin, faster than his eyes could follow. Other swords appeared, shimmering into life on either side of his black blade. Now instead of one sword, there were five. All imbued with his own power, his own life, his own will. The chains from his armor moved once more, this time attaching each one to a different hilt until they were all connected.

Jace began to spin, twirling the swords around his body, creating a small funnel of blades, slicing the air as a warm knife through butter. Then one blade flew out from the whirlwind, straight at the black globe wherein the Troll resided. A sickening crunch resounded, a howl of pain and rage. The beast dropped his club, hands reaching for his head, but at that instant a second sword surged out, this one driving into the raised hand. It pierced through the stone skin, digging to the hilt, pouring out pain and suffering through its fragile blade.

A third, a fourth, and finally the last blade were flung down into the head and shoulders of the troll. Jace was poised in the air, the chains still attached to his body, his form being held up by his crumbling power over the wind.

●◦●◦●

Tetsu never knew that such a primordial roar could be birthed from his lips, but it had been so, and now as he stood there, his blood and body surging with crimson energy, he knew what to do. In the space of seconds the Dark Knight had made his move.

The knight's eyes went back to the leg he'd been hacking at uselessly, and now he knew that he could hew that piece of rock in two. With a growl he approached the leg, and then pulled back his massive sword, muscles bulging, almost breaking out of his armor. Power flooded every piece of his body. It was his to hold, to claim, to use. His and only his.

He swung, the blood-bathed sword biting hard and deep into the ankle of the troll. He pulled his sword back, noticing that some of the red stain had remained on the beast and was still eating away at the stone, making it even weaker than before. Another swing, his blade fairly melting the rock before he could even make solid contact.

He registered a scream from the troll, a cry for help to some unknown goddess, but it was all ignored in the face of his task. Another swing and his sword kept going. With silent shock he saw that with only three hits he'd completely taken the troll's ankle off. The rock began to crumble, the troll stumbling, roaring in pain from his leg and his head, his shoulders and arms. Tetsu had no time to dwell on what he'd just done though, for he could feel the berserk potion wearing away. Soon he would be back to normal once more and either have to deal with it, or use his last potion.

He ran around the side of the destroyed ankle, then around the back of the troll and to the other side, making sure to dodge falling pieces of rubble. He could see where Jace had been hacking away and had in fact made a good-sized chunk. With a twisted grin he pulled back his sword, tensed his muscles, and swung, his side-arc leaving behind a trail of red shadow as it sliced through the air. The blade hit and bit deep into the beast's ankle, the magic of his blade pouring out onto the rock, eating away at it.

Tetsu pulled back and tensed. One more strike would do it.

●◦●◦●

Jace heard a sound that was like heaven to his ears, that of stone crushing and shattering. At that instant he felt the beast shift, then saw a crimson tinged Tetsu running around the Troll below him. In front of him he saw Ceisyl running, toward and then up the shield that protected the gem in the center of the room. He wasn't sure why it didn't reject her as it did him, but it was only a fleeting thought.

He let go of the wind currents that held him aloft and dropped from his perch, straight down toward the head of the Troll. His feet touched down on the bald head of the beast, and without stopping he took off, running forward, then down, over the things face. The chains that were still held fast to his swords billowed out behind him as he ran vertically down the body of the troll. They grew somewhat as he ran, giving him the slack that he needed.

Once near the ground he stopped, bunched his legs, and then sprang from the body of the troll. He twisted in the air, tightening the chains at the same time, and turned so that when he landed he was facing the beast. He cast his eyes down quickly at the Knight who was swinging a second and final time, watched as the imbued blade cut through the strong stone of the Troll's leg. With that done he pulled with all of his strength. Muscles and chains screamed in protest, but it was starting to work.

The troll, with his body being torn apart at the legs, couldn't maintain his balance. The chains, which were attached to swords buried in his head, shoulder, and hand, upset what fragile remnants of stability it possessed, and down it came.

Jace let go of all the chains but one, and on that one he pulled. From the head of the Troll came the real Gemini, flying through the air with the chain attached to its hilt. So hard was the pull that the Dark Knight had put on the chain that the sword soared across the chamber and stabbed once more into stone, though this time the stone belonged to a wall and not a troll. Jace wrapped the chain around his hand one time and called upon the magic of his weapon, which forcefully pulled him up and away, toward his imprisoned blade.

Seconds after he was pulled to safety the troll crashed to the ground, its stubby legs struggling, and hands working to try and push it back up. But it was also at that moment that Ceisyl descended from above. She had no battle cry, she knew of no 'gods' to cry out to, she knew only her magic.

"_Sientes!"_ She whispered. Magic fire flared along Synmora, dancing upon the gleaming surface of the blade, purple and silver. Her cloak of the same color flared up above her as she fell, her legs drawing up beneath her, both hands held firmly on the hilt of her sword. The globe of darkness that had been over the troll's head shattered just as she reached it, and she saw her mark clearly. With a smile of triumph she raised the sword high, then thrust it down hard and fast.

The magic-laced blade pierced through the neck of the troll. Ceisyl's body touched down upon the back of its head and she used the weight of her landing to drive the sword even deeper, the blade actually growing under Synmora's will. Fire exploded from the sides of the sword, and in that one strike she severed the head from the body.

Rock began to crumble under her, and with it she fell to the shattered ground, drained but victorious.

The troll was no more. His body, at his death, turned to nothing but ash and dust and memories. This was evidenced by the action of Tetsu wading through what was once a mighty stomach, but was now only ash, in his effort to reach her and off his congratulations. Even the plate armor, held to him by his own magic, had melted into nothing but metallic ash at his demise.

"That was great Ceisyl! I didn't even know you _had_ a sword under those robes!" Tetsu said as he reached her, his hand outstretched. She thought back to when they were in the cave, and he'd made the same gesture, but she had rebuffed him. With one look at his brilliant, youthful blue eyes and his wide grin though; she didn't have the heart to refuse. Her hand clasped his and he pulled her from the ash of the troll's head.

"There are many things you do not know about me, Sir Knight." She said as she rose. Immediately she released his hand and dusted off the dark leather of her armor, then reached down and touched the glittering sword that lay amongst the ash. At once its magic was dispelled and it began to change, slowly shifting back into the form of the small dragon, Synmora.

"Ah…" he said as he was what had created the sword she used. His eyes took on a light of new respect as he looked upon the dragon. He bowed his head to it.

"The dwarf is before the cave exit. He was knocked out thought, so I did what healing for him I could." Ceisyl said, turning and walking away from the pile of ash and dust. As she walked her clothing changed, the cloak flowing out behind her, then back up around her body, becoming once more the robes of the Mage, free of any sign of battle.

"Good, tell the Dark Knight though, it is his friend." Tetsu replied, following her path out of the mess they were in. He was about to speak once more when the ground beneath him shook. He cursed the server and turned around just in time to see a great beast rising from the ashes of the troll.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" He yelled as he drew his sword. A grey Minotaur was fast forming, and behind it yet another was being created, and beside that one yet another. From the death of the troll came living nightmares once more. The one rising above Tetsu lost no time in creation, for already was its mighty axe raised high above its head, and as soon as its torso was solidified it struck, bringing the axe down hard and fast, seeking to clean the knight in two.

To his astonishment, great relief, and utter shame, the Minotaur would never attack. Above Tetsu's right shoulder an arrow streaked, one that brought with it mind-numbing cold, and a winter that would never be satisfied. Ice began to spread upon the half-formed Minotaur's body before the arrow had even touched it, but when the missile did strike, the ice became something alive and grew from that one point of impact until it encompassed the beast's entire body, freezing it where it stood.

"Do I _always_ have to save you Tetsu?" The Lady Rosilin said from the doorway, her bow still in hand, another arrow notched and already coming to bear on the next target.

Tetsu sighed and turned back to the field of ash and the newly formed minions, knowing that this would not end well.

●◦●◦●

Ceisyl stopped and turned at Tetsu's voice, disbelief marring her normally cool features. What was going on? Never before had anything in the game been this hard! Always, they defeated the boss, they moved on. Never was it more than one boss. She felt someone beside her and turned her head to see Jace standing beside her, his helm off and face grim. She noticed that at least he'd chosen a handsome face to park beneath his mask of evil. She sighed.

"I have nothing left to offer this night, Sir Dark. I hate to say it, but every bit of strength I had I pooled into Synmora for that one attack." As she spoke she looked up to the ceiling to find her small companion slowly circling the area, unconcerned for what was happening below since it did not include his master. He was, in fact, looking for something to eat.

"Besides," She continued, nodding her head toward a woman advancing into the room. She wore black and gold dragon-scaled armor, a half-helm which consisted only of a head piece and piece to cover her ears in the shape of dragon wings, up swept and golden. In her hands she wielded a bow and arrow, but at her side was strapped a formidable looking sword that she could no doubt use. Jace noticed the frost tipping her arrow.

"An Ice Dragoon. She seems to know our young knight." He said, not taking his eyes from the striking woman with long dark hair and dragon armor. Without turning toward Ceisyl he spoke again. "Take your rest, please check on my friend, and I shall do what I can to help get us out of this place."

One of her finely chiseled eyebrows rose at his words, and a barb was on the tip of her tongue, but she instead chose to ignore his commanding tone and words, and for once in her computing life, obey.

"Very well," she said with a bow of her head. She turned from him and reached behind her, bringing the hood of her robes up and over her head, casting her tattooed face back into the shadows that were her life.

Jace glanced back at the mage once, then put her from his mind and set about the task before them. Tetsu was now engaged in battle against one of the summoned Minotaur, and seemed to be handling his own well enough. The Dragoon was just now rounding the shield, and for the first time he noticed that her arrows could pass through it, even if a body could not. He filed that away to check on later.

He dug into his soul and pulled what power he had left, having to convince his feet to move when all he truly wanted to do was fall down and sleep. With a curse at the Server Gods he began to run back around the shield, coming upon the side opposite of Rosilin. Two Minotaur were advancing upon the locked battle of Tetsu. He knew that the knight couldn't have much hp left, or energy for that matter. Going berserk takes a lot out of one. His hand reached up and gripped the hilt of Gemini.

"_Only a little bit more, my friend."_ He whispered to the blade as it came to life in his hand. Against one Minotaur at a time his blade was among the finest to be had, but against more than one…

The sword began to glow with darkness, a black light so profound that it seemed to drink in every fabric of reality around it until the air itself was nothing but a distortion of time and space. A silver light pierced the darkness, and then it was dispelled, the black light banished to where it had been called. In his hands now were two swords, not one. Twin blades, lighter than the mighty Gemini, but of the same color and strength. Each boasted of a hilt with a single cross piece, now shaped into the form of demon wings, the pommel of each crafted into twin orbs, one glaring red and bright to put the greatest ruby to shame, and the other pouring out darkness as a black sun.

Fire and Death.

He was fast closing upon the Minotaurs, their backs to his approach, intent upon their kill. Once again he called upon the magic that was fast leaving him and used it to send his body forward, hurtling faster than the eye could ever hope to follow. Once instant he was behind the beasts, now though he appeared in front of their charge. He bent to one knee, knowing that they had failed to even notice him in their unnatural lust for blood, and it would be their undoing. As the hard ash bodies passed Jace struck out, his swords that had been held crossways against his chest lashing out. The bite of Fire, the sting of death, it swept upon the creature senses, but still they knew not what the cause was, but they slowed. Past the Dark Knight they almost swept, both now sporting widening gashes in their sides, but before they could totally be free of him he used the coil in his bent leg to propel his body up, twisting in the air. Both swords struck out as he rose like a screw, severing the heads from each rampaging body.

Tetsu turned as the Minotaur he was fighting finally fell to his sword, the creature melting away with a nasty chunk of 'skin' gone from its throat. His blonde hair was sticking out at every angle, his armor dirtied from the soot and grim he was fighting in.

"Their blood is Ash, their breath dust!" He shouted in disbelief. He was about to reply when an ice-tipped arrow sped over his shoulder once again, over the shoulder of Jace, and into the shoulder of a Minotaur that was rising behind the Dark Knight.

He turned, following the arrow, and was shocked to his core to realize that one of the creatures was being created not two feet from where he stood. From the point where the arrow struck the icy death began to spread, he watched for a second as it did so, then raised Fire and struck the ice, satisfied to watch half of the Minotaur's body crumble back down to the floor.

Ros slung her bow over her shoulder as she came upon Tetsu and Jace, her hand moving to the hilt of her sword.

"You boys should really pay more attention to the world around you." She said with a grin. Looking at the two men before her though, the grin faded. Both looked as though they were about to drop dead.

"I thought you left, Lady Rosilin." Tetsu said, turning to her at the sound of her voice. Jace turned as well, but couldn't smile or offer any thanks for he was still caught up in the fact that if not for her he would probably be dead now.

"Family business. I logged back in as soon as I could, then knowing you like I do, I ran back to town and got some more potions. I figured you'd forgotten to." Tetsu winced, he had in fact forgotten to stock up before leaving town. So had Jace, but the Dark Knight didn't think he should say.

"Yea, I did. Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet, they're back in the other room, near a dwarf."

Jace quickly glanced toward the mentioned room and his friend.

"Looks like they've stopped coming." Tetsu remarked, looking around the dusty chamber. Nothing stirred, nothing moved save the small dragon still circling lazily above.

"I'll get Willow and the Mage, then we can get out of here." Jace said, turning and walking away back through the ash. As he did so he slipped his blades into unnoticed sheaths at either sides of his armor.

"Who's that?" Ros asked, watching him walk away.

"His name is Jace, he and the dwarf came to our assistance when we were ambushed by a Minotaur." Tetsu replied, turning as well toward the retreating man.

"Yea… I saw it on my way in…" She said thoughtfully.

"What? But we killed that thing ages ago. Should have been gone by now." Tetsu said in disbelief, turning his gaze to hers.

"Well it wasn't, now was it?" She said softly. Something was going through her mind, but he didn't know what. "Something's weird here, Tet."

"You're right my dear, something is _very_ weird here." A soft feminine voice said from behind them. Both turned at the words, Tetsu's hands clasped tightly to the hilt of his sword, Ros's hand still on the hilt of hers, her other hand going to the long curved dagger at her other side.

The woman that spoke them was not directly behind the two, as they had thought, but was instead floating slightly above the ground where the door to the other room had once been before it was smashed by the troll. Yes, floating. Her unshod feet refused to touch the ground, and her feet may we add boasted of what seemed to be grass stains. From her stained feet up she was… impish. Not in looks, but in her manner. A light green gown clothed her body, velvet in design. The neck of it was low cut, revealing the beginning of cleavage, lightly tanned skin the color of warm coffee. Around the neck of the girl sat a strand of pearls with a single green teardrop in the middle, hanging just above the valley of her breasts. The arms of the gown ran the length of the girl's arms and ended at her wrists, though a piece of the material went on along her hand, tying itself off around each middle finger. Her eyes were the same color as the teardrop, a brilliant green that spoke of excitement and lust. Her hair, curled and spilling about her head and shoulders, was the color of a fresh morning sun, bright red and wild.

"Very weird indeed!" Her voice called out again, this time louder and with a note of maniacal glee. She laughed and threw back her head, hair flying out around her, arms striking out at both sides of her body. The walls began to shake and shift, the world tearing apart all around them. Darkness welled up from the floors, millions of voices crying out in the midst of them. Hands reached and grabbed for their souls, their powers.

Ros cried out, drawing her dagger, slashing at the unseen foes that clawed at her skin. Ice tinged the air everywhere she struck, but still they wailed and lamented at her feet. Still they clung to her body as a second skin, dragging her down into a hell that she knew she would never escape. Tetsu roared behind her, and suddenly a shimmer of red dispelled the black briefly. He had once again taken of the Berserk potion, his glowing sword slashing out at any and everything he could see, or thought he saw. Above it all came the cackling laughter of the girl. Her voice was around them, in them, pouring out from their lips. And then through the tortured whisper and screams of the bodiless souls another voice came, this one also belonging to a female.

"Syris welcomes you home." Ros cried out against the voice as a feeling of overwhelming despair shattered her heart, but Tetsu's cry was something different. It wasn't a shout to a god, or a roar of battle, instead it was a name.

"TASHA!"

●◦●◦●

Jace came upon Ceisyl and Willow, the mage sitting with her back against the wall, her eyes shut, and the dwarf still laying down, his axe at his side.

"He will be waking soon, I wager. Been asleep near thirty minutes now." The woman said without opening her eyes.

Had it only been half an hour since they came in here? It felt as though hours, perhaps even days had passed since then.

"The Dragoon said she brought some potions. Doesn't mean she'll share, but…" Jace said as he knelt down beside his friend. She was right, he would most likely wake any moment and wonder where he was and what he was supposed to be killin'.

"She'll share. I've heard of her, at least if she's who I think she is. A high-classed Dragoon from another server. Used to be called Lady Rosilin, but from what I hear now she just goes by Ros. Which means that the knight in there is the young pup that she's been training."

"You enjoy knowing everything, don't you, Mage." Jace said softly. By the startled look in her eyes he could tell that he'd caught her off guard. He was about to apologize and thank her for letting him know, when their world fell apart.

As was happening in the other room, to the other people, so it happened to them. Jace stumbled up from his crouched position, his hands reaching to his sides, groping for the blades that had so many times saved his life. He could hear the mage crying out as the unseen hands began to scratch at her flesh, as it was his. He fell back, hitting the ground hard, his hands releasing their hold on his swords to cover his ears, trying to shut out the voices and cries of the dead and dying.

"I CAN' DO THIS!" He screamed, whether in the game or in real life. He would log out; nothing could be worth this, not a new server, not new weapons. Nothing.

Log Out.

He couldn't remember how, or his body would not respond.

**Log Out!**

Nothing, still the hands snatched at his armor and his face, his eyes and hands, dragging him down into an oblivion that he never knew existed. He couldn't log out, something wasn't letting him. He felt as if a connection between his mind and his body had been severed.

"I'm going to die." He said, his voice echoing among the thousands of faces that he couldn't see, but that he knew was there, floating about him, chanting his words back to him. The word 'die' resounded off the walls clothed in blackness, penetrated the core of his being, and shook the foundations of the cave.

"You can't die yet, Jace." A voice said from behind him. The voice was like a single pure note of song in the midst of a tempest. His head turned toward it, which caused his body to turn in kind, upon his hands and knees, eyes searching the darkness for that one voice. It was too late; he knew he was going to die.

Then a hand, cool and warm all at the same time touched his face, brought his chin up. He was gazing into the bluest eyes he could ever imagine. They caused the voices, the screams of torment, to cease, to fall away in light of those orbs. He didn't look down, for he couldn't remove himself from her sight, but he knew that there was no body attached to those eyes.

"I need you, Jace." The voice said once more, its soft musical tone sounding within his soul. "Something very bad is happening right now, and you and the others are about to be swept away by it. You have the ability though to stop it. You can save them, and yourself, from the fate of this world."

He couldn't move, could hardly breathe. Though he could not hear them, still he could feel the power of the blackness crushing him, both in body and soul.

"This… is just a game… I just want to go home…" He said, whether out loud or not he wasn't sure, but the eyes heard, and understood.

"I know, I know and I am sorry. I cannot explain now, for I cannot remain as this for much longer or he will find me. I can only say that you cannot go home. This place that He has turned into a game… it is as real to you as your own world now."

Jace struggled against the words that he was hearing. His mind, his body screamed over and over to log out, to shut his computer off and go to bed. He had school in the morning, his mom would be upset.

The hand cupped his chin again.

"You can't go home, Jace. You are trapped here, just as I am."

"What do I have to do!" He screamed, coming up onto his knees, his hands clenched into fists at his side, the darkness crushing him, closing in on his lungs, his heart.

"For now… survive."

And the eyes were gone, her last words burning into his soul. Survive. With the spell of her presence gone, the reality of what was happening crashed down on him. He could hear Ceisyl screaming, Willow's moans of pain, and from the other room the sounds of Rosilin and Tetsu fighting against an unbeatable foe. Above it all came a voice, soft and deadly, like death upon wings of dark violence.

"Syris welcomes you home."

Then Tetsu, his voice tearing from lips no doubt curled in pain, calling out a name that Jace couldn't understand, so laced with pain the knights voice was. It was then he realized that they were all dying. He could feel his mind slipping away, his body longing to join it. Just when he thought he would give in and just let everything go, let it all fall away until there was nothing left, he saw it. A light shimmering, suspended in the darkness.

His dagger.

In the blackness of the room it shone as a sun, bright and warm, inviting and welcoming even though hours ago it had radiated nothing but evil intent. Now the light that it had drunk from the doorway poured out of it and into the twilight.

Jace struggled to his feet, his feverish eyes locked onto that one beacon, the one slash of hope. The thought that touching it could very well destroy him never seemed to surface in his crazed thoughts, so his feet nor intent ever slowed. As he neared the floating dagger it seemed to call out to him, as if his entire life's purpose was to take it from its place in the cave, to draw from its power and become one with whatever force it was now bestowing on the land.

All of these thoughts and more pounded inside the young warrior's mind, but they were all put to shame and all for naught when he reached out his hand and closed his fingers around the shining hilt.

The voices screamed in anguish as light flared from between his fingers, from the glistening blade, from the body of the Dark Knight. Light pulsed from every inch of his body as the power was transferred from the knife to him, but his body could not even hope to contain it. It pulsated away from him, in an ever-growing circle of light and energy, touching upon each of those trapped within the hellish chamber. With each second of the light's beating heart the darkness was dispelled, the voices chased away. Power and energy flooded each of them in turn, changing what was to be their destruction into their salvation.

In the chamber with Ros and Tetsu, Leda, the Green Witch, screamed in defiance. This was not how her Lord told her it would be. He had told her that she would be able to drink up their power and perhaps sate her lustful thirst. Her thirst for power that had driven the once docile young girl into a greedy PK, a Player Killer. Now though her trophies were being swept away from her on a tide that she couldn't hold back. No matter what spell she try and cast, it would only be rebuffed. She knew this. She also knew that this power wasn't normal, nor could it be achieved in the 'game', as it was once called. It had stopped being a game to her some months back when she had given her life to Him.

"I smell Hybrid in this…" The Witch said with a snarl. The watched in horror as the people she had been feasting on began to disappear, the power that was unleashed taking them from her. Her hands balled into small fists at her sides, green painted nails digging into her palm, drawing blood which flowed unheeded to the dusty floor. She screamed in anger and outrage.

When the scream ended, they were gone. No matter though, the girl thought.

"Like me, you stupid fools, there is no going home. I'll find you again. Lord Syris will see to that. He promised."


End file.
